Galaxias
by Arlia'Devi
Summary: Post-Avengers. With everything peaceful in the realms and the Bifrost repaired, Jane and Thor finally get a shot at a normal relationship. Jane, working with S.H.I.E.L.D., continues her studies while Thor, happily Earth-bound for the moment, becomes an integral part of the re-assembled Avengers. However, everyday life with Thor is more of a challenge than Jane ever expected.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: All characters belong to Marvel and associated corporations, not myself. This is a fan-based work and I earn no money from this. This story follows closely to the movieverse, post-avengers and beyond. Also, I am an Australian writer so any 'misspellings' in regards to certain words, are not misspellings they just are slight differences between countries. Enjoy!

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 1**

"**non est ad astra mollis e terris via****"**  
_There is no easy way from the earth to the stars._

In an old flat-roofed condo in New Mexico, Jane Foster lays in a deck chair under the night sky, bathing in the unfiltered light of the moon. Of course, being an astrophysicist, Jane knows that the moon does not produce light but it is merely the sun's rays on the other side of the earth being reflected down upon her, but it is a nice thought none-the-less. She is taking one of the few moments to she gives herself to relax and it has brought her back out to the stars, one of the things she can never seem to get away from. Maybe that is what she loves so much about them; they are different wherever you go, but they are always here, even when you can't see them.

It is no surprise then, she realises, that she's fallen for a star man.

Jane sighs and slumps down into her deck chair. She traces the pattern of _Hercules_ and then identifies the star maps; they are always there, even when she can't see them. At night they are a certainty, her constellations and planets. She can use her telescope and track every one of them and their position in orbit. She does it almost every night but not once has she seen a great rainbow road, an interstellar tree of sectors she was apparently identified in or a great golden city on a planet named Asgard. She supposes, perhaps, even her largest, strongest telescopes can't reach that far. Sometimes she sees a comet, one with a great icy tail and she couldn't help but wonder – is that white lightning? Was the comet being propelled by some supernatural hammer?

They are all pipe dreams. Jane sighs and grabs her mojito, taking a long draw from the straw. While other women like to sunbake by the pool in their bikinis, she moonbakes by the stars in trackpants and a t-shirt.

The condo is quiet tonight. Darcy, with all of her whining and college enthusiasm, has stolen the van and gone to Albuquerque to catch a band concert. Erik still has not returned to New Mexico and Jane was worried. Erik was her colleague and good friend. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been notified, but as of yet, she has not heard much from the.

Jane sighs and rolls over, the alcohol in her fourth mojito suddenly makes her drowsy. How she longs to fall asleep under the stars and wake up to be covered by his cloak – or him – in the morning and not the bites of insects.

Jane knows she should have ventured indoors, but her slightly drunk mind slips into slumber.

"You have to leave, Miss Foster," Agent Coulson's voice slams against her mind in the blinding light of the morning.

She gets up from the deck chair, pulling an old blanket around her shoulders. Darcy must have found her up here. All evidence of the mojitos is gone, however, thank god – the four limes she'd gone through are all disposed of subtly.

"You're not safe here any longer," he says in all seriousness, which is terrible for the hour of morning she has been woken up at. "You must come with us."

"I don't want to go – Thor... I-," she stammers, her brain an intelligible mess as she sees everything get packed into the vans. Darcy was by her side.

"Thor's back!?" Darcy cries to Coulson.

"We don't have time," grits the agent. "If Loki comes here, you'll all be in danger and as an operative for S.H.I.E.L.D., we cannot have that. We have safe quarters for you elsewhere. Come now Jane."

"I'll take the van to Albuquerque," says Darcy, flashing the keys. "You have my phone number. Give me a call when all this is straightened out."

With bleary eyes, Jane agres and climbs into the BMW sedan waiting with the engine still running. She still wears all the clothes from last night and probably has a nasty case of morning breath. The only idea that's running through her head, that is powering her through this early-morning half hungover state is the fact that she's only being relocated because Loki's here. And if Loki was here, somewhere Thor has to be around. Maybe they will take her to him. Coulson gets in immediately after and Jane slides across the seat to the tinted left-side window.

"Will I get to see him?" Jane asks.

"Who?" Coulson plays dumb. It doesn't work.

"Thor is here, isn't he?"

Coulson does not reply. He doesn't have to, but his silence says more than he knows. Jane realises they're not taking her to him.

"Can you just promise me one thing," Jane says to Coulson as they begin to drive away. She sees Darcy waving by the door of their condo, then turning around to scold a S.H.I.E.L.D. worker who is carrying a large box out of the front door.

"It depends, Miss Foster, on what that 'thing' is," he replies.

Jane rolls her eyes.

"If Thor asks for me-,"

"We will tell him where you are and that you are safe," he replies. "If he wishes to visit you, it shall be his choice."

Jane offers the man a tight lipped smile, though at least it is a smile. "Thank you."

There is a moment of silence.

"How is he?" she asks quietly. She can't help it.

"Fine, by all accounts, though he did have a run-in with Tony Stark."

"Iron Man: Tony Stark?" Jane clarifies. She knows of him. She has a TV. for god sakes and for months, he's been the only thing making news headlines – Tony Stark the Iron Man Superhero.

Coulson nods. "I can't tell you much more than that, I'm afraid. The less you know, the better it is for you."

Jane sucks in a breath. It is always like this when it came to these guys – the less someone knew of anything they were planning the better. Coulson is a man of little words and those little words were mostly occupational jargon.

"I just want to see Thor," Jane sighs and slumps into the chair. "And if Loki's back, it definitely cannot be good."

"We realise that," Coulson replies. "Can I offer you a beverage, Miss Foster? It's a long drive to Albuquerque," he asks, opening a small fridge compartment between the two seats. There are small bottles of vodka, scotch, a few cans of soft drink, a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate.

Jane takes the two small bottles of vodka in two hands and _clinks_ them together. "Cheers."

* * *

A day later, Agent Coulson is conversing with the Avengers, aboard Nick Fury's ship. Looking at Thor, the newest addition, there is some tension between him and the egotistical Tony Stark but at least the two are acting civilly to each other now they have Loki captured and in a secure containment area.

Noticing a familiar face among the crowd, Thor instantly approaches Coulson who, despite knowing the God's benevolent nature, can't help but step back from the great muscled man approaching him who is wielding a hammer the size of a man's head.

"Jane," Thor breathes out as he approaches Coulson.

Coulson reaches to his pocket and pulls out a photo of the woman, handing it to Thor. "She's safe. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D now and we've relocated her to a secure premise."

Thor nods and with a sigh, goes back to the other members of the so-called "Avenger Group" – a haphazard group of people from around the world, and in Thor's case, galaxy.

Looking back on his career history, despite it being top secret, Coulson knows attempting to explain the highlights of his professional life would snag him a place in the loony bin – star men and women who came to Earth via a magical rainbow road, a guy who dressed himself in a steel suit and proclaimed himself a superhero and a genetically altered man kept on ice for decades. It even sounds crazy to him.

The Avengers are talking amongst themselves for a moment while Coulson reminisces, before he hears Thor's booming voice say,

"Take me to my brother."

And so, Coulson steps forward, intending to show the way, but Natasha holds him back.

"We can handle this," she says to Agent Coulson. "Besides, Dr. Banner wishes to speak with you."

Coulson looks over to Dr. Banner, looking meek and aloof in his button down white shirt and jeans. His back is hunched over and his hands are in his pockets as he looks over his glasses at Agent Coulson.

"I have heard of Jane Foster," he says carefully once the others leave. "She was a high achieving graduate at MIT, and her work in astrophysics is very interesting. I have read a few of her papers. She and Thor are acquainted?"

More than acquainted, Coulson wants to interject, but he knows Dr. Banner is using the term loosely.

"She was observing on a number of astronomic phenomenon that were happening frequently around Arizona and New Mexico," Dr. Coulson replies. "Her work was also linked to an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"Worm-holes," Dr. Banner clarifies. "I know the theory."

"There was no sustainable evidence that the theory was correct," Agent Coulson says. "Until she apparently hit said evidence with the side of her car while chasing said phenomenon. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D. now, both because we are interested in the possibility of interstellar travel and the fact that her well-being may be in the best interest of Earth."

"Since an Asgardian Prince has become fond of her," Dr. Banner grins. "Her work is very interesting. Perhaps it should be considered she join me in the lab. A deep knowledge of astrophysicist and astrology may be useful, especially when dealing with -,"

"Jane will stay where she is," Thor interrupts the men, having entered the control room again. He approaches them with a stony look on his face.

"If she is safe, she will stay where she is," Thor repeats. "I will not have her put in danger."

Dr. Banner shuffles away a little. Agent Coulson nods his silent agreement.

* * *

What pathetic things humans were, Loki realises as he sit in a small containment bubble. They try to make up for their lack of strength with their ingenious inventions and their nifty technology, and yet they have only been able to physically make it to their own moon in all the years they have existed. A pathetic feat, and yet the humans have celebrated it with enthusiasm.

He had been four when he'd first travelled to Asgard's moon and seven when he'd first crossed the Bifrost with Thor and Odin. These human creatures thought they were so fine but they are like bugs – bugs who cannot comprehend what lie outside their nest.

And yet, his brother adores them so. Many Asgardians adore them. The Bifrost had made it possible to travel here on a whim, making the people of Asgard and their 'superhuman' abilities deities among the monkey-looking people that settled Earth. Perhaps that is why he has had little time for Earth in the past and wishes to control it now – he had never truly been an Asgardian, never settled for the norms there.

Thor's attraction to a certain human female, however, is both interesting and delicious to Loki. His brother is such a Neanderthal in many ways – hot-headed and tempered, it did not take long for him to lose his cool, so to speak, and lash out. And that hammer could break diamond with enough force. With a grin, Loki flicks the Perspex.

Speaking of said brother, he is entering the chambers now – a group of earthling riffraff in tow.

"Brother," Loki greets warmly, getting up and approaching the Perspex with open arms. "How nice it is for you to visit me. I rarely have guests."

"Loki," Thor replies with a curt nod. "Why do you do this to yourself, brother?"

Loki stays clear of that conversation entirely. Instead, he has something else he wishes to talk about – something that he know would bait his brother.

"Is it not so nice to be back on Earth, brother? So to speak?" Loki grins. "Even for such a limited time? You've already made new friends." He ushers to the members of The Avengers and Agent Coulson, who are standing behind him.

Thor does not reply.

"You have such a short time on Earth," Loki continues when his brother remains silent. "Why bother with people like me-,"

"You are _family_," Thor replies stubbornly.

Loki offers him a quick smile in half acknowledgement of the declaration before continuing on.

"I have been here for quite some time you know, Thor," Loki says, pacing around the containment bubble. "Before we were reacquainted, I couldn't help but meet with a friend of yours – you know her name. _Jane_."

Thor growls and steps forward. He can't help it and Loki knows it. "You did nothing of the sort!"

"Have you met Jane, friends?" he asks the fellow Avengers that stood behind Thor just to goad him all the more. Black Widow gives a confused look and a small shrug to Captain America.

"Oh no?" Loki sighs. "Well, she's a wonderful woman. Very intelligent. Very beautiful. She's trying to find a way to rebuild the wormhole that connects Earth and Asgard so she can be with her beloved," Loki gives Thor a pouting look. "She'll fail of course."

"You have not touched a hair on her head, Loki," Thor roars. "You lie."

"But I am very flattered," Loki says, touching his breastplate that sits over his heart. "Father exerted all the magic and energy just so you could come and see me, didn't he? That is why you are here, as you said, to take me back to Asgard 'where I _belong'_." He spits the word out like a bad taste. "Did Father not approve of the earthling whore? He didn't want to waste the time and energy to send you down for her?"

Thor lashes forward, fire sparking in his eyes, his hand gripped tightly around mjönlir. Tony Stark quickly reaches out and grabs Thor by the forearm, but the thunder god shakes the man off like a small bug.

"Don't!" cries Black Widow. They all fear the worst.

"The tesseract is our father's," Thor bites out, calming himself. "I know what you are doing, and it will not work."

"You were so much more temperamental before you visited Earth. It's disappointing."

"You were so much more of a brother."

Loki grins and folds his arms over his chest. "I will find her."

"She is no use to you," Thor replies, turning his back to leave.

Loki laughs as his brother goes to the door of the containment container. It hisses as it opens. As the thunder God exited, Loki calls after him, "While you love her, she is."

* * *

I realise this chapter is a little off-centre to the movie, per se, but I do hope you enjoyed it. I'm actually really excited to be writing for the Thor fandom and hope to update this regularly. I adore Thor and Jane, so this story will focus around them and their life when they actually get the chance to 'be together'. It will be funny, fluffy, and smutty (;D), but also have a developing plot.

If you liked this chapter and are keen to read a little more, please take the time to leave a quick review!

Thanks!

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	2. Chapter 2

~ Because we all know Thor just can't beam down to Earth in the Avengers like it's nothing and not visit Jane…

Galaxies

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 2**

******"amare et sapere vix deo conceditur." **

_Even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time_

Iron man said they deserved the day-off and the first thing Thor thinks about is Jane. Truly, he should be thinking about getting back to Asgard, about the tesseract and Loki's punishment, but Tony Stark tells him not to think so hard – that they all deserve a good day's rest and that everything will still be here in this afternoon.

He watches as Loki is taken to a containment unit and he checks it himself to make sure it's secure. Loki is a master magician, but with his mouth gagged and his hands bound, Thor is sure he cannot escape. He gives a meaningful look and Loki rolls his eyes before looking away. Satisfied, Thor leaves to join his comrades in the control room of the helijet.

He looks to the Man of Iron where he is fraternising with a tall woman, who Dr. Banner tells him is his 'girlfriend'; his 'intended woman'. Thor simply cannot stop thinking about Jane. He has spare time on his beloved Earth, and yet, he doesn't know where he's supposed to start. He looks to Dr. Banner but his mouth goes dry and he can't seem to make out the questions he desperately wants to ask. Mr. Stark is whispering something in his beloved's ear and it's making Thor squeamish.

Dr. Banner has his hands in his pockets as he looks to Thor. Captain America is in the showers and Natasha and Clint disappeared as soon as they arrived back at the ship. Dr. Banner looks to Thor; he looks to his restlessness. He is about to say something about going to see Dr. Foster and not to waste time lingering around here when suddenly the door to the control room opens. The man who stumbles through is Erik Selvig.

Selvig looks weary and weak. He has lost a considerable amount of weight and his clothes are loose and ruined. There are dark bags under his eyelids and they're red. He sees Thor immediately and, noticing a familiar face, approaches him, and his entrance has caught the attention of all people in the control room, including that of Agent Hill and Nick Fury.

"Selvig, my friend," urges Thor, touching the man's shoulder. "You should not be up. You should be resting."

"You need to go see Jane," says Selvig and Thor swallows thickly. "She misses you terribly, Thor… I… I have to do something for her, I feel terrible."

Thor doesn't understand this.

"What is wrong with Jane?" he asks. "Have you done wrong by her?"

He nods and is visibly upset. "The inventions I constructed… the one I made that summoned Loki and the second to open the portal. They are not my blueprints. Jane sent them to me many months ago to look over. I-I took them. They were perfect." Selvig shakes his head. "I've been under Loki's control for months; I know I have because I've felt that influence for such a long time. At first, I started building the first portal to help her find a way back to you," he puts his hand over his mouth and he is visibly shaking. He needs to sit down and Thor takes him to a chair that Erik collapses into it. "But eventually," he sobbed. "I knew it was for something else… I just didn't know what. I'm sorry, Thor, and I'm sorry for Jane. I wanted to help her, I thought I was doing the right thing. Tell her that for me. Please."

"It is not your fault, friend," Thor replies. "Your motivation was kind, though disloyal. Jane will forgive you."

Erik takes Thor's hand. "She's been waiting a year to see you. She's probably seen you on the television. While you have the time to, please, visit her." He sees Thor's hesitation. "She still feels the same."

He feels overexposed and suddenly he's approached by Maria Hill. She has a deep gash down her eyebrow that is slowly healing. She hands Thor a small note. It has an address on it.

"She's in Tromsø," Maria says. "It's in Norway."

Thor looks to the paper blankly. "I have no way of knowing where it is," he says dismissively.

"I do," announces Tony Stark, having pulled away from his blonde-haired beauty, though Thor thinks Jane is much more beautiful. "I'll take you. Let's go," he looks back to Pepper. "I'll be home for dinner. What are you thinking? I've already had shawarma, so that's out of the question. I could go for a pizza. Pepperoni?"

Pepper rolls her eyes and laughs a little. Tony approaches Thor and takes the note.

"Jarvis will map out the directions. Get your hammer." He strides out. Thor looks to Selvig, squeezes his shoulder gently and wishes him well, before exiting behind Tony.

* * *

Jane Foster has never felt as high as she as she is now, and at the same time, has never felt so impossibly low. She's just witnessed Thor on the television in crackling, poor-quality recordings of him battling a giant alien robot in New York City. There had been a flash that saturated out the picture – a blast of lightning from his hammer and then the transmission went dead.

Desperately, she grabs for the remote and went to change the channel, hoping to pick up reception from another television company that has not been completely obliterated.

Yet, while Jane knows Thor is fighting to save the Earth in New York, she can't help but be impossibly selfish. Is he going to come to her? Is he even thinking about her? Has Coulson said anything to him?

She hates Norway, but she should love it. She hates the great big telescope, the Northern Lights which she's always found just so beautiful, and the spacious apartment S.H.I.E.L.D. has given her. She hates how cold it was here and how much it rains. She wants to be back in New Mexico, where all she can see are stars, it is bone dry and where he knows where she is. But here, in Norway, she's glued in front of her television wishing to be half-way across the world. He comes onto the television again, Mjölnir smashing into an alien's face and her heart jumps to her throat.

It is almost midnight in Norway, but it must be only late afternoon in New York and she has her eyes glued to the television screen as a brave journalist is in the war-torn streets of inner New York to interview Captain America.

"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," beams the retro-American. There's a clock behind him that reads 3:20, but she's not sure if that's the right time because the building is partially destroyed.

"Well, that's what news here is," the journalist turns back to the camera, obscuring the shot and the other Avengers that are hanging around the debris. Where is Thor? She can't see him. He hasn't -

"Stupid woman," Jane grunts and throws herself onto the double bed. It is lavish and full of pillows but she finds them annoying and shoves them off.

Is he going to come for her? What if he doesn't? Is she supposed to keep looking for him after this? Keep looking for that rainbow road? The loopholes and delve into the theories of travelling through time and space? What if he has already gone back to Asgard – did that mean he has forgotten about her, has he abandoned her promise? She can't bear to think of it.

A sudden rumble pulls Jane from her thoughts and she instantly leaps up, hoping it is S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives coming to relocate her somewhere she can actually see the stars, and in America. She loves Norway but it isn't where she wants to be at the moment. Somewhere in Arizona, even. Or Nevada, accounting she isn't too close to Las Vegas.

The rumble subsides and Jane straightens out her hair and clothes, going to the balcony of her apartment underneath a great telescope on a mountainside. She looks out into the dark sky, confused at what had made the noise – a low flying plane?- before she hears a great bellow.

"_Jane_!"

At first, she thinks she is hearing things. It sounds so masculine and fierce, with that distinct rasp she's heard before. She tries to calm herself down when her heart and mind begin to soar out of her control because who the hell knows her first name here and calls it like that? No one.

She looks around but she can see no one. Suddenly there's a _whoosh _and he lands dramatically in front of her, balancing on the wrought iron rails of the balcony. She's only as tall as his kneecaps, but they're the kneecaps she's been waiting to see for a year.

He jumps down to the balcony. Mjölnir is in his left hand.

"Thor!" she cries, falling into his open arms and crushing her body against his. His armour is cool and she's wearing a small silk nightie so it leeches through to her flesh, eliciting small bumps. "I saw you on the news. I…didn't think you would come for me."

"You doubted my word?" he nuzzles the top of her head and takes in a deep breath. She smells beautiful – of musk and flowers and a natural womanly human scent he's picked up in the most intimate of times of the day when he stayed with her – when she's had just awoken and runs into him before the shower, when she was asleep by the fire. It's a beautiful scent. With his thumb and forefinger, he tilts her head towards his and covers her lips in a searing kiss.

In a tight embrace, neither of the god or the astrophysicist notices a certain man in a maroon and golden suit start up his burners and takes to the air. By the time they break apart to speak, Tony Stark has already disappeared, intent on heading to London to fill up before crossing the sea back to New York.

"Stay," Jane begs gently. "You must be tired." There is a bloody cut on his cheekbone and she runs her finger under it gently. "I have a first aid kit somewhere. Please…," she presses her hands to his chest plate just to validate he's here. With her. "Don't leave me tonight."

He nods silently and she gushes at the joy coursing through her system. She's practically glowing and his eyes are liquid cobalt against the night.

"I cannot stay for long," he admits gently. "I must leave the day after tomorrow, New York time. Apparently our victory was deserving of a 'day off'."

Jane laughs at this. It's cold outside, however, and she's not wearing much at all – a fact she's suddenly realised, both from the cold and the fact she has a great hunk of a god standing on her balcony. She leads him inside the apartment and closes the balcony doors. He looks around at the apartment – the bedroom, the small kitchenette and the bathroom. There is a lounge with a fireplace across from the bed, and a flat screen television above the fireplace. A small fire is rolling in the hearth and Thor approaches it, feeling its nostalgic warmth.

"These are your quarters?" asks Thor.

Jane huffs. "I think my camper is in storage in New Mexico," she says as Thor takes a seat across from the television. As he does, he grips his side. "Or Darcy's living in it, or something." She approaches him as he shifts uncomfortably. Suddenly she notices a small red stain through his armour. "You've been stabbed?"

He waves it off. "It is nothing. It will heal."

There are several scratches over Thor's face and arms, however, and Jane gets the first aid kit from under the small kitchen sink. When she opens it and takes out some wipes, he doesn't argue against it. In fact, he's quite happy to have her hands on his being and her body close.

"I missed you, Thor," she says, pursing her lips. The antibacterial wipe gets bloody and dirty quickly as she wipe at his arm so she tosses it away, pulling out another.

He turns to her and kisses her again tenderly. "As I missed you. I had to destroy the Bilfrost to keep you safe. But I have never stopped looking for a way to come to you, Jane."

"And I you."

He smiles at this and traces the shape of her jaw with his thumb, stopping to take her chin. He should tell her about all the things that have happened, like Selvig and her blueprints and the tesseract and how maybe… just _maybe_ he's going to be able to rebuild the Bifrost but he has a feeling she doesn't want to speak of these things right now. Not tonight.

She seems to read his mind because the next thing that comes out of her mouth is a short hiss, like she's the one with the cuts and the antiseptic, not him. "There's a lot to talk about," she admits. "But not tonight. We have time tomorrow, don't we?"

He nods and she smiles, rocking back and forth cutely to settle herself by his side.

"Good," she says and throws away another small medical square. "Now take off your armour, please. I want to look at that stab wound."

His robes are tattered and dirty. First he removes his cape and it falls to the floor in a soiled heap. Then he unlinks his cuffs and unhooks them. His hands are bruised and cut and they look sore and terrible. She wonders how much he aches but knows he won't tell her. Thor is a proud man. He will allow her to help him, but she knows he will not admit his pain. Thor takes off his breast plate, which is scratched and stained with… whatever it is, she doesn't want to know. He takes off his metal cloth and suddenly he is bare-chested.

Jane swallows thickly and Thor stretches, grunting a little and she hears his joints pop. Still, she doesn't say anything but goes to study the wound in his side. The stab is shallow and is beginning to heal. It's crusted in blood though, so she wipes over it. His skin is blotched a little from hits, in a strange light-purple and yellow and she runs a caress over it gently, first with her fingers lightly and then with her palm, from the stab wound, over his abs and then across his right pectoral to his arm.

She tucks her feet under her bum so it props her up a little. Against his body it's warm and the 'just-from-a-fight' look he's giving is beyond hot, and it goes against all her feminist values to think she's the damsel he's been saving, he's been fighting so hard for, but it's hot to think of it that way and his eyes are burning a hole into her soul. She knows he's thinking the same thing.

"On Asgard," he says gently though his rough voice cuts through the room like a saw blade. "We have a great man who sees all, Heimdall. I would ask him what you were doing. He told me you have not stopped searching." He thinks about the portal and that it's Jane's technology and that she probably doesn't know how it's been used, so he decides not to go there yet. "My feelings did not change in our time a part."

She smiles at this and her face looks like it's illuminating against the firelight. He's blissfully aware at how little clothing she's wearing. It's one of the reasons he had unclothed so willfully The nightgown does not conceal very much – he could see she was cold on the balcony and now it's riding up her thigh, showing a tantalising amount of skin. He's noticed that about Midgardian women, their smaller, tighter clothes, their voluptuous bodies – Jane's certainly is a lot more softer than any of the women he's been with on Asgard. He wants to know how it feels to have her between his hands, to be on top of her, but he can't. He knows he can't. It's not right.

But he kisses her gently because he wants her and he knows he can allows kisses. His arm loops around her shoulders – her bare shoulders and the skin is so soft. He goes lower, to the silk-clad core of her back and presses her closer. Jane whimpers and places her hand on his neck, opening her mouth when his tongue presses against her lips.

He presses her closer on the lounge and it's a little awkward, unless she throws one leg over him and straddles him, but she's not daring enough to make the move. Eventually however, her awkward position and sore back make her break the kiss from the Norse god and she pants. Thor's eyes are blazing and his breath is harsh and shallow.

"Jane." Just the way he says her name makes her whimper and her panties horribly uncomfortable.

"Thor I-," she whimpers. His hand moves down lower and in an instant she throws her leg over his hips, settling in there and forces her lips against his. Thor groans deeply. She's wearing so little and he hasn't been this turned on in … hell, _decades_ and he wants her so bad. But if she doesn't stop soon, he knows he won't be able to.

"Jane," he says roughly. She rocks back on his thighs. Her lips are red and kiss-bruised and her hair falls back behind her in beautiful waves. He touches her thigh, intimately but not sensually. "I can't. Not tonight."

Jane nods and though she's disappointed and beyond turned on, she accepts. "I understand," she says. "Are you sore?"

Not sore enough, he wants to say. He shakes his head and caresses her cheek. He is tired, however, but it would still not get in his way had he been intend on getting her in his bed.

"I must leave for Asgard," he says. "I know not when I will return for you, Jane Foster, though I give you an oath I shall." She smiles, though it's a small, shallow smile. "Tonight, I will not dishonour you."

"I understand," she says. "But tell me this, son of Odin," his ears prick up at this remark and she squirms in his lap. A hand on her hip firmly and a wicked look from Thor makes her stop and laugh. "If you're not intending on bedding me tonight, shall you sleep on the couch?"

He hesitates. "Of course," he says, though he cringes at the thought as soon as he's said it. Jane can see right through it.

"I hope you don't snore," she laughs and rolls off him, snuggling into his side. Thor sighs and wraps an arm around her shoulders and Jane rests her head under his arm. He smells of a day of fighting aliens (when doesn't he?) so she'll make him take a shower before bed, but for now it's nice. Jane's falling asleep. His body is warm and it's soothing just to be in his presence. It feels normal. She's surprised, actually, how normal and right it feels just to be with him – like they're just another couple in the world. It feels nice.

"You can sleep in my bed," Jane whispers drowsily. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself."

"There is no guarantee," he replies. Jane thinks his voice sounds drowsy. Perhaps he's falling asleep. Did Gods sleep? She's only known him as the mortal, Thor - homeless, possibly batshit crazy Thor.

"Have a shower before you come to bed," she says and peels herself away from him. That's a hard feat to accomplish. "I'll find you something to sleep in."

Thor goes to have a shower and remembers to wrap a towel around himself before he leaves. Jane hands him a pair of navy shorts she's found from somewhere – another scientist down the hall apparently, and he puts them on.

Truth be told, fighting an alien army can tire any person, let alone a great Norse deity and the son of Odin. He is beyond weary and is relieved when Jane turns off the lights and closes the curtains before slipping into the bed. Thor is close behind.

When Thor gets into the other side of the bed and settles, Jane scoots over to him, lying by his side and letting him wrap his arms around her.

"You decreed there was to be no touching, Jane Foster," he said wickedly against the shell of her ear as he lie behind her. "Yet you approach me, invading my space of the bed."

"Deal with it," she replies simply and nestles into the pillow.

Thor sighs and relaxes. It's nice to just hold Jane – she is one woman that he enjoys to be in the presence of. Truthfully, many women he has slept with barely catch his attention long enough than a round between the sheets; of which his mother was very disapproving of, but Jane is different. How did one sleep with a woman he had not bedded? He had never shared the sheets with a woman still clothed, but Jane is tired and so is he, so he realises there isn't much thinking to do. Jane's already asleep so he, too, lets himself go.

* * *

Thank you so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter! The fantastic people were:

** FostersonFanForever **  
**Tricky-trax **  
** Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl **  
&** Sokka2Me**

I had originally written this chapter about a week ago, but on the weekend thought I should watch The Avengers again just to make sure the story made sense within the canon. Watching the movie, I realised I was beyond unsatisfied with chapter 2 and re-wrote it. I'm quite sure Jane was sent to Tromso in the movie. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter - it's quite fluffy, a little smutty. I hope to write a few pre-written chapters over Easter holidays so I can update this fanfiction regularly. I endeavor to update this fanfiction one every two weeks on Thursday (Thor's day - hehe). Of course, the best way to keep in the know with updates is to follow this fanfiction!

Again, thanks to the people who reviewed the first chapter! Please take the time to leave a short message before you go and stay tuned for coming updates!

Until next time,

~ **Arlia'Devi.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Galaxies**

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 3**

"**cras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit, cras amet."**

_May he love tomorrow who has never loved before; _

_And may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well._

Jane wakes in a warm embrace of sheets, blanket and the arms of a Norse deity. Her back is to him so she rolls in his arms to face him. Thor is still sleeping and for a moment, all Jane can do is admire him. He looks peaceful and the blotching in his face has healed rapidly. The sheets over his chest are rising and falling gently, his hands are fixed above his head exposing his ribs and sides as he's shifted since she's moved and his mouth is slightly parted, drool pooling on the side of his mouth.

Jane can't stop watching him. She's in awe of how… _normal_ he looks. Without his armour and his hammer, Thor looks just like a normal mortal – well, a super buff mortal with a body to die for, but a mortal nonetheless. She looks around the apartment. Mjölnir is by the balcony door, its handle resting against the wall.

It's eight-thirty in the morning. Jane's stomach rumbles, but she can't tear herself away from Thor's side – not after all this time.

Then she realises she may have to. Thor has no clothes other than the armour that lay discarded on the floor and the underwear he's wearing right now. She wonders how long it will be until Thor wakes up. She nudges him a little, but he doesn't move. Jane decides she has quite a while.

She quickly gets up and pulls on clothes – jeans, boots, a jacket and pulls her hair up before leaving the apartment.

* * *

Down in the small district of Tromsø there's a department store. It doesn't sell much and it's not very big, but it's big enough to clothes for Thor. She's seen the size on the underwear he's wearing and buys a pair of jeans she thinks will fit. It's not that hard because he fit into Donald's jeans like a fucking glove. The shirt and the jumper are a little easier because it doesn't matter if it's too big to fit him just as long as it's not too small. She buys him a pair of socks and a pair of cheap joggers. She's uncertain of the sizes, but it will have to do. She takes the bags and goes next door, ordering some breakfast before heading back up to the observatory where her Norse god is waiting for her. She feels giddy in the elevator.

She arrives in the apartment and puts the bags on the lounge. She looks to the bed and Thor's still sleeping. Taking a sip of her coffee, she walks up to him. He's rolled over now, his face is in the pillow and he's clinging to it with both hands. It's ten past nine in the morning.

"Yane?"

Jane sinks into the mattress, tucking her legs under her butt. "Morning." She tousles his blonde hair and he rolls over.

"Jane," he growls and hooks his arm around her back, pulling her to him. She smiles and sips her coffee.

"I bought you coffee," she smiles. By the way his eyes light up, he remembers the beverage. "You want some breakfast?"

He nods and sits up. Gently he kisses her neck and brushes back her hair. Jane smiles and angles her head so that she meets his lips and he kisses her passionately, a hand resting on her jaw. This moment is so perfect she wonders if this is what it will feel like to be together. His lips are so feather soft and loving. It makes her feel warm all over.

"I bought you some clothes," she said. "I didn't think you wanted to wear your armour all day."

"Hmm," he murmurs, still nuzzling her skin. "I should endeavour to blend in."

Jane nods. Thor's skin is hot to the touch and she's suddenly very aware at how very little clothing he has on –even the underwear is stretching it.

On the bedside table there's a keen ringing sound and Thor breaks off from Jane and looks around for the sound. Mjölnir hums a little. Jane explains it's her mobile phone before answering it – it's one of the scientists.

Jane's Norwegian is not that great. In fact, it's rather terrible, but the scientist is bilingual and has done his masters in London. She talks for a while and Thor gets out of bed. The conversation drops a little when he walks over to the small three-piece dining setting in only a pair of briefs – briefs that frame his beautiful arse just perfectly. Thor sits down and begins to drink the coffee and Jane eventually gets the day off – honestly, she's not that sure why she was sent to Norway in the first place. Still, watching the god in front of her, she's not _that_ unhappy.

Jane clicks off the phone and approaches breakfast. She pulls out a croissant and begins to eat. He's gone through the raisin bread and is now eating the second croissant, filled with ham and cheese.

"Eat Jane," he says, ushering for her to sit down. She does and finishes off her coffee.

"I have much I must tell you today," he announces. "The man of Iron may be back for me sooner than I wish."

"What will you do when you go? What happens then?" It's hard to have a conversation with Thor across the table when he's sparingly clothed.

"I must take Loki back to Asgard so he may be properly trialled and punished," he says, biting into the croissant.

"I'm sorry, Thor," Jane says. He looks a little alarmed. "For your brother, I mean," she clarifies. "I'm sorry it didn't work out any better…"

Thor doesn't reply and his jaw tenses a little. "Allfather will give Loki just punishment for his crimes against Asgard and the realms."

She's about to reply when her phone on the bedside table rings again. Thor, with half a croissant hanging from his mouth, looks around the room again for the noise. Jane picks up the phone, seeing Darcy's name flash up. She prepares herself for an onslaught of yelling and screaming if somehow Darcy knows Thor is in her apartment, and she isn't disappointed.

"Have you seen it? Have you seen it?" Darcy cries over the phone. "On the television – it's Thor!"

"I've seen it," said Jane, sitting back down at the breakfast table. Thor is too interested in breakfast to give the strange contraption any notice. "In New York."

"Where are you, Jane?" she asks. "Is Thor with you? I haven't heard anything from stupid S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jane takes a sip on her coffee. "I'm in Tromsø in Norway," she looks to Thor who looks up at her. She smiles at him and can't believe how adorable he looks when he smiles with a mouth full of food – like the photo Darcy took of him she has saved on her phone. "Thor's with me."

"Get out!" Darcy screams on the phone. "Is he really there? I don't believe you. Put it on the phone!"

Jane laughs and hands the mobile phone across the table to Thor. He looks at it blankly.

"It's Darcy. She's on the phone. Just talk into it."

He takes the phone and presses it to his ear like she had done, taking ques. "Darcy!" he bellows and Jane laughs. "How are you, friend? It is I, Thor! You remember me?"

"Of course I remember you, you big lug," she laughs on the phone. "I saw you on the TV! You were awesome."

Thor realises she is talking about the battle. "Thank you, Darcy. It was a testing battle, but we came out as the victors."

"So what are you and Jane doing?" Darcy asks.

"Eating."

"Are you staying, Thor?"

"Alas," he replies. "Though Earth is precious to me, I must return to Asgard."

"Aw bummer man," Darcy sighs over the phone. "Oops, I gotta go. It was good talking to you. Tell Jane to call me when she gets the chance. Okay – bye!"

The phone makes a strange sound so Thor hands it back to Jane. She hangs it up and slips it into her jean pocket. She understands Darcy's frustration with S.H.I.E.L.D. because she shares it. Thor tells her there's a lot she must know and is finally relieved there will be answers – Thor will tell her everything he knows about the situation.

He gets dressed. The jeans fit him well. He fills out jeans like they're a second skin. The shirt is just a shirt and fits him snugly and Thor doesn't bother with the jumper because it's warm in the apartment. He strolls around the apartment, stretching a little while Jane cleans up breakfast, throwing wrappers in the bin. The television is on. It's plastered with visions of him and the other Avengers in New York with Norwegian voices narrating the American event. Thor seems transfixed by the images for a moment and Jane comes to stand by his side. There is a vision of Loki in front of an art gallery then and Thor brings Jane in close.

"I'd like you to tell me, Thor," she said. "I want to know... I understand if-." She picks up the remote and mutes the transmission before sitting on the lounge expectantly. "I mean, I just - I need to know. How did Loki get here? How did you get here? All of a sudden I was shipped to Norway…"

"I understand your frustration," he says, sitting down though not relaxing. His back is hunched and his arms rest on his knees. Jane wonders for a moment if he's sore. Thor's watching himself on the television, smashing an alien warrior into the ground with Mjölnir. He looks to her and his eyes are unreadable. "Loki came through a portal powered by the tesseract – a great treasure kept in the Allfather's trove in Asgard. It's one of the strongest sources of power in the galaxy. When my father informed me Loki had transported himself to Earth…" Thor shakes his head.

"What happened when you left me?" Jane asks, touching Thor's hand. "When you 'beamed up' or whatever?"

Thor covers Jane hands with his and squeezes. He knows that has been the hardest part – not knowing what happened when he left Midgard for home and not returning to her for the better part of a year.

"When I returned back to Asgard my father was not well," he said gravely. "My brother had taken the throne, informing me my father had passed on to Valhalla after I was banished. He was intending on destroying a whole planet to make our father proud; Jotenheim and I could not allow it. I destroyed the ancient Bifrost and thus Asgard's connection to Earth. I was deeply upset, but it was what needed to be done. Loki fell off the edge of the severed Bifrost, let go of my father's staff and into the darkness of space. I thought him to be dead."

Jane nodded a little dumb-struck. She didn't understand Asgard politics and she didn't try to, nor did she assume to know Thor's relationship with his family because frankly, she assumed Asgardian relationships were different, even in the slightest, to Earth relationships. She could pick up on, however, the great sadness when he spoke of his estranged brother.

"I'm sorry, Thor."

He shook his head. "Loki has done much wrong by me, Jane. He is a criminal of Asgard. He has put in danger everything I hold dear."

She scoots closer to him. "It's all right to still love him, Thor. He is still your family and it's not wrong to care for him."

Thor gives her a small smile and ghosts his thumb across her knuckles. "You are very wise, Jane."

Jane laughs.

"I thought Loki to be dead. The Allfather informed me there had been disturbances on Midgard; a great all-seeing man informed my father our treasure, the tesseract and Loki were on Midgard and I was sent to retrieve them both."

"All-seeing?" Jane says vaguely.

"Yes," Thor corrects. "Heimdall sees all in the universe. Very little gets past his gaze."

"So that was why I was sent to Norway like that?" Jane says, piecing it together. "How did Loki get to Earth?"

Thor knew this was the part she was not going to like. "Erik Selvig was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. He was able to construct a portal with the tesseract after it was pulled from an ocean. He conversed with me before I left to see you. He was under Loki's spell for a long time. He tells me you sent him blueprints to build your own Bifrost Jane."

"It's not a Bifrost," she corrects him with a laughing smile. "But it was something that I hoped could work. I just couldn't find a strong enough power source for the portal. Did… did Eric use my design? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Thor nods and Jane stiffens, exhaling deeply through her nose. She straightens up and takes her hand from his, folding it in her lap. She'd worked for months on those designs. He was her most trusted colleague – the only one that supported her dreams and 'eccentric' inventions. Hearing he'd stolen her prototype designs to benefit S.H.I.E.L.D. and hearing that he'd been able to make them work was a great kick in the guts.

"Don't be mad, Jane," Thor says. "He knows what he has done is wrong."

"I'm not mad," she lies. "No, I _am_ mad, Thor," she corrects herself. "And I'm sorry for that. I am frustrated. My invention worked, and I know it sounds ridiculous, but my design worked and I want credit for it. I worked damn hard on that blueprint – over a thousand times it blew up in my face. Crossed wires, weak power sources, and state blackouts. You name it and it happened to me." She collapses onto herself, her head in her hands. "It's just _frustrating_." She says, muffled through her hands.

"Erik Selvig was a slave to Loki's mind control," Thor said. "Had I chosen you or Erik Selvig to make the portal, to harness the tesseract's power, it may be selfish but I would have always chosen Erik Selvig." He looks to Jane who is huffy and upset. Gently he takes her hand from her face and hooks Jane's chin in his grasp. He presses his lips to hers lightly and Jane relaxes.

"Loki has a vendetta against me," he says hoarsely. "I fear of what he may have done to you if you were in Erik Selvig's position. But he is fine, and he wishes of you your forgiveness, Jane."

Jane sighs and nods. This moment is so special to her Jane decides to push the remorseful feelings to the side and just enjoy the moment Thor is by her side. She relaxes and falls into his side, resting under his arm and unmutes the television. It's all in Norwegian but Thor manages to understand it. He's spent a long time in these parts; in a land he's practically considered a deity. Jane is pressed against his chest, his warmth radiating through her cheek. She doesn't know how much time has passed between them, but she's contented just to stay in the crook of his arm, contented just to stay in his presence.

Jane registers a broadcasting day-time television show that is rather popular in Norway and realises its midday. The other thing that registers its lunchtime is Thor's stomach which rumbles loudly and he laughs.

"I'm afraid my stomach has betrayed me, dearest," Thor said and Jane smiled at the endearment. It was a beautiful day outside and Thor didn't look like a great Norse god, at least without his hammer and armour and she thinks 'why shouldn't they go out'?

Thor leaves Mjölnir at the apartment complex, knowing that if he truly needs it he can just summon the hammer to him. He doesn't think he will need it though. Tromsø is seemingly peaceful and the day is bright and grand. They go down the elevator and leave the observatory, stepping out into the midday air. Thor breathes in deeply, enjoying the crisp icy temperature and the freshness to the air; it's been a long time since he has been in this area of Midgard. Jane takes his hand.

For a while they walk along the sun-bathed streets. This area of Tromsø is beautiful and they spend quite a while just looking around in store windows and some small shops. Eventually, Jane decides to feed Thor and heads to a chain burger joint because he can order as many and as much food as he wants without breaking the bank with some of the gourmet food cafes in this suburb. They enter the burger shop and it's sparsely populated with cheap furniture bolted to the ground. It's a cheap looking place, a chain restaurant but Thor's already looking at the menu and talking to the young high school boy what is the best on the menu. The young boy isn't sure – he likes the Angus beef burger, but he's tried recently the great big burger with two beef patties, three pieces of bacon, cheese and hot spicy sauce. Thor orders that. Immediately.

With an American fast-food burger chain the proud owner of a good portion of her monthly pay, Jane takes their food to a local park and they find a nice spot under a grand old oak tree Thor really appreciates. They sit down and Thor begins to eat and not for the first time in the past few hours, as Jane bites into her own burger, she wonders if this is how it would be if they were together.

"This is fantastic," he says through a mouthful of bacon, beef and a small amount of salad.

"They don't have burgers on Asgard?" she asks with a small smile as he chugs down his bottle of coke.

"This beverage is delicious!" he announces and a few people close by turn to look at him. Jane only laughs as he chugs more down.

"They're all popular on Earth," she says and he smiles his acknowledgement. "You don't have stuff like this on Asgard?" Maybe it's just an Earth custom to shove sugar into everything. Maybe they don't have consumerism on Asgard.

"Not at all," he replies. "Oxen, pheasants, fresh produce...," he shrugs his shoulders. "Mead."

Mead? Wow. Jane hasn't heard that in a long time. Thor finishes his burger, then his chips and then his drink before he leans back, lays down and exhales deeply like he's finally contented. Laying in the shade of a tree on a pleasant day on Earth, Jane thinks that maybe he is truly happy. Maybe he could have been happy here, with her, if he had never gotten back Mjölnir and returned to Asgard. Maybe they could have been very happy together. Jane finishes off her burger and throws the wrapper away before coming to sit by Thor's side. With a small sigh he wraps his arms around her waist and tugs her close across the grass. Jane smiles gently before laying by his side.

Jane leans over to kiss him gently and he rumbles in approval. His lips are warm and his kisses are so tender but mask a growing need, so slowly they become more demanding and ravenous. She moans quietly when his tongue timidly seeks hers but his affections are nothing more than loving, and his lips are careful but they still manage to wring out whimpers and soft throaty moans from her. But, by god, he is a fantastic kisser. She almost wants to cry out and jump him when he pulls away eventually, taking his hand away from the back of her head to prop under his own. Jane sighs and sinks against his chest, resting her head under his chin.

"I want to be with you, Jane," he says suddenly. Jane shifts up to look at him.

"So do I," she replies. She's not sure exactly where he's going with this, but hell, she's really thinking about going with him.

"I must return to Asgard tomorrow with Loki and the tesseract." What is he insinuating? The Prince continues. "The tesseract is a great source of power, but it belongs to my father. I plan to ask his permission to rebuild the Bifrost."

"_Can_ you rebuild it?" she asks.

He shrugs a little. "I am not entirely sure. Mjonlir is a great weapon for destruction, but it also possesses the power to build. My father told me it was a suitable weapon for an Asgardian King," says Thor. "As I am told is a popular saying on Midgard, I shall not know until I try."

Jane supposes that's true. "And say if you succeed. What would you do, then?" A sudden wicked grin and a cheeky pseudo-accidental caress and Jane realises perhaps the question of '_who_ would you do then', would more accurately describe the situation.

"My father is already aware of my infatuation with you, Jane." She feels the blood run from her face at this. Thor notices the suddenly distraught look on her face and feels her body tense up beside him. "He does know of my ulterior motives to rebuilding the Bifrost. What is that look? Are you ill, Jane?"

"I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed, is all."

"I know not what you mean," he mutters before asking. "What will _you_ do, Jane?"

"That's a tough question," she sighs and rests his chin on his stomach. His hand smooths over her hair. It is a hard question to answer because there are so many possibilities. "I suppose the answer is, 'I don't know'. I want to keep working on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. I want to go back to New Mexico, but I don't know what I will do. I don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. will do with me."

He runs his hands through her hair soothingly because she is visibly upset about the vagueness of her future.

Thor says, "The doctor called Banner inquired into your skills while I was in the city of New York. Perhaps you may speak with him."

She doesn't know who Dr. Banner is, so she asks.

"The giant green monster," Thor supplies dryly. "When he is normal, I am told he is a very intelligent man. He asked for you, but I refused."

Jane shakes her head. "Why?"

"Loki," he replies, as if it is obvious. "It was dangerous, Jane. I was working to save my brother and the tesseract. The ship we were on was badly damaged. I could not have you in harm's way. You were safe here. Perhaps now times are peaceful, he may seek you out."

"I might give him a call," Jane bites her lip, thinking the situation over.

"Do you have family, Jane?" he asks suddenly, interrupting her train of thought. It takes her by surprise.

"I did," she says.

His brows pucker and his face visibly falls. "You are the last of your name?"

She laughs. "I suppose a little, though Foster is a popular last name, Thor. My mother died when I was young, I never had any brothers or sisters. Shortly after I graduated to become an astrophysicist, my father got very ill and he passed away as well. My father was a doctor; he used to heal injured people."

Thor's expression conveys his deep sorrow and he runs his hand over Jane's head. "One of the greatest joys in my life is belonging to my family," he says gently. "Yet, they are the source of my greatest sorrow." She smiles tightly and Thor ghosts his thumb over her cheekbone. "Your parents rest in the guard of Valkyries, to feast joyously and be merry for eternity."

She smiles against his hand. "Thank you, Thor."

He shares her melancholy joy and smiles back before pulling her tightly against him. She knows the happiness and sorrow that come from a family, and has conceded on occasion that she understands his feelings. Loki is – and will not stop being - his brother. He cannot change that. And yet, Thor knows there's a feeling he has not felt that Jane has. Perhaps he has felt it once, when he was shunned and stranded on Midgard, but he can't be sure. Jane closes her eyes and rests against him, rolling her body to lie on her side. Thor kisses the top of her head.

Jane knows loneliness far better than anyone he has ever met.

* * *

That night, Thor drifts between worlds. He finds himself slipping away into slumber, only to wake up moments later in the dark, wide-awake. He doesn't need to rest as much as Jane does, but it's getting late and he wishes to sleep.

Jane is wearing the silken nightgown and it's ridden up to reveal her panties and naval. Thor spends moments caressing the small of her back with the tips of his fingers, feeling the warmth and smoothness of her skin. She must feel like that everywhere. Her hair is mussed and her face is expressionless, resting on a pillow and close to Thor's chest. She must be dreaming, however, because she mutters something suddenly that he doesn't understand and a small smile touches her face. Thor laughs gently and touches the edges of her lips with his fingers before lying down. Mjölnir rings from its place against the wall.

Her face is beautiful. Thor takes a moment to study it, even in the darkness. Her brow furrows every now and then, and her lips purse. Even when she sleeps she is still thinking. Thor has never met such an intelligent creature – such a smart, complex woman. He thinks of Sif. She exhibits great strength and battle skill, but Jane's battle is in the mind and there are many things he does not know about her. The women are complete opposites. There many things that trouble her and should he come back to Midgard, he endeavours to know all there is about Jane Foster.

Thor falls asleep, his mind spinning in circles.

Jane has shifted in her sleep so her back is now pressed against Thor and his hand is lazily touching her hip. She doesn't know why she suddenly wakes up at almost quarter to four in the morning, because it's bizarre and she feels like she can't go back to sleep.

She turns and looks to Thor over her shoulder – he is sleeping soundly with his blond hair falling over his face. Mjölnir, like its wielder, sits dormant in the corner.

Suddenly, from the balcony there is the sound of something rattling. In the silence of the room, Jane picks up on it instantly, her eyes flying over to the curtains to hear the latch to the balcony open. They're over ten stories high. Jane tenses. Perhaps it's the wind – it does get windy in Tromsø and she's about to get up to close the door when it flies open and she sees a flash of something ghastly.

Letting out a keening scream, Jane stumbles back on the bed, knocking into Thor who has abruptly woken up in a fit. As he pulls Jane against his stomach with a tight hand around her waist, Mjölnir flies into his other hand and is poised to strike over Jane's head. A great growl fills the room, ringing through Jane's head. Her heart is hammering in her chest and she is sure she hears cracks of lighning outside.

"Woah woah, big guy," says a strangely familiar, tinny voice from the window. Iron Man shoulders his way through the curtains. Thor sighs and drops Mjonlir to the floor with a thump. "No need to get so worked up." Iron man opens his mask. He nods his greeting to Jane. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Foster. Your work on the Einstein-Rosen theories is top notch. I'm a big fan."

Jane, with her silk nightie riding up to her stomach and her lacy panties on show, grabs the sheet in mortification. Thor chuckles his amusement and rises from the bed, only wearing the loose-fitting shorts. Iron Man waits by the balcony as Jane gathers the sheets to herself and flicks on a lamp on a bedside table.

"So you kids have fun?" asks Tony, but Jane doesn't reply. From the lounge, Thor looks up and grins before going to don his armour.

"Thank you," Jane says eventually. "About liking my work – thank you."

Tony steps a little closer. "Your work is very interesting – Dr. Banner was speaking of your work a few days ago. Very interesting indeed. Of course, when we knew we we're dealing with some sort of interstellar transporter, it was suggested you come in, but you know," he makes a funny eye reference to Thor, who is now in the bathroom. "But if you're ever in New York, Dr. Foster. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be in contact no doubt." He mumbles something, but Jane can't be sure what it is. Thor has emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his armour and robes. "But you know," he finds, in his suit, a small business card for her and hands it across the bed. "I find myself in dire need of such innovative technology."

"Your company produces weapons," she says.

"_Produced_," Tony corrects. "I'm currently looking into clean energy solutions and researching many different projects. One of them is definitely space exploration, if you're interested." He looks to Thor, who is picking up Mjonlir. "You already know your portal works; Reindeer Games came through it. What if we could make something strong enough to power it?"

Jane swallows. Her mouth has gone dry. Thor is attaching his cape.

"There is nothing strong enough to power such a thing in Midgard," he says by her bed. "I hope to rebuild Asgard's Bifrost now that the power of the tesseract is back where it belongs."

"It'll probably be best for the Earth if it stays where it belongs," says Tony and Thor nods once.

Thor looks to Jane and Tony takes his leave to wait on the balcony. In long strides across the room, Thor comes to the bed and kisses Jane passionately. It's a hard, bruising kiss and he holds nothing back. Jane whimpers and wraps her arms around his shoulders, pressing her scantily-clad body against him and smiles against his lips when Thor rumbles in a masculine approval that sends pleasurable vibrations right to her very core.

"I will be back for you, Jane Foster," he says breathily as he pulls away. "Do not doubt this," his promise is almost dark and delicious. He takes her hand and kisses her knuckles gently. "Deal?"

Jane laughs. "Deal," she confirms and pulls him into a hug. Thor smiles against her shoulder. She hangs onto him, trying to justify in her mind that he is truly there and here with her, but eventually she lets him go – lets him go with Tony Stark back to New York, and onto Asgard.

And once again, Jane feels emotionally numb, sitting on the large bed in the dark of the room, the two soaring high in the sky, probably already over Great Britain. The pillow smells of him and his spot is still warm. She knows his scent won't linger on the Manchester, so she pulls it to her trying to savour it for as long as possible.

Thor is gone.

* * *

Thank you to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. They were…

**Vampireadtic, ****Sokka2Me, ****FostersonFanForever, ****DPrincess, **& **Salandra.**

Thank you so much for reviewing and your support. I have recently added a cover for this fanfiction so it's a little more appealing. I thought it would be nice to have a few fluff chapters to get the ball rolling (no one likes Jane and Thor apart!). As promised, this fanfiction will be updated bi-weekly on Thursday!

Make sure you keep updated and share the love before you go. If you liked this chapter – please give me a quick review!

**~ Arlia'Devi.**


	4. Chapter 4

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 4**

"**mutantur omnia nos et mutamur in illis****"**  
_All things change, and we change with them._

Like the last time Thor left, Jane feels numb. She wakes up at seven and gets dressed, eats a bland breakfast and then meets her colleagues down in the labs. There's no spark about today. Her spark left with a robotic suited hero and he's probably on the other side of the galaxy by now. Jane knows it's just a waiting game now, and she hates it because she's never been so hung up on a guy like she's hung up on Thor – stupid, goofy, handsome and ridiculously sexy Thor.

Jane's looking over star maps before lunch at her desk. She's not doing work, but finds it soothing looking over familiar star patterns. She tries to see any anomalies, but it's all the same. Jane sighs and leans back, stretching in her chair.

"Dr. Foster?" a man with a small smile approached Jane and she swivels around in her chair to greet him.

"Dr. Gunnar," she says, knowing Dr. Arthur Gunnar speaks English proficiently. He'd been the one she'd spoken to getting the day off yesterday. No doubt he's come to speak to her about that.

"Did you have a pleasant day?" he asks politely. Jane senses no remorse in his voice, and if it were there, she wouldn't understand why – she has no real purpose in Tromsø. She knows it's all a rouse from S.H.I.E.L.D. to hide her away from Loki.

"I did, thank you," she replies. "A friend was in the area," she laughs in her head at the sound of that phrase. "I rarely get to see him, and things take care of themselves here, don't they?"

Dr. Gunnar laughs and nods. "It certainly can be slow."

Jane nods and spins around in her chair. "A cosmic disturbance here, a flash of radiation there…," she gives Dr. Gunnar a small smile. He's a nice man who speaks English well. He's tall and lanky – a nice man. She thought for a while she'd wanted a nice career-driven man like that. Like Donald. They could have worked well together, but it seemed that he was a more little driven and passionate about his career than her. _Patients need me 24/7, but there are no stars in the daylight_, he'd say and she'd boil on the inside.

She's about to ask Dr. Gunnar a question when a young intern says in bad English that there is a telephone call for Jane and she taps into the telephone system. Her mobile phone is basically useless in Norway, and she thinks its dead anyway. With no one to call except maybe Darcy, but she called yesterday and she's emailed through what's been happening anyway.

"Hello?" Jane says, hoping she's not going to have to try and awkwardly reply in Norwegian. Dr. Gunnar is still close by for translation.

"Hello, Dr. Foster," the voice is female and American. Jane is relieved. "This is Agent Maria Hill, working with S.H.I.E.L.D. How are you today?"

"Fine," Jane replied. "Is everything okay – is Thor with you? What about Erik?"

"Thor is fine. He's departing for Asgard with his brother as we speak," Agent Hill says. "As for Dr. Selvig, he is steadily recovering. I can assume, um, Thor-,"

"Told me all about it."

"Of course he did," there's a flat-tone to Maria's voice that makes Jane snigger. Thor holds no value for top-secret Earthling information. "But that's not what I am calling to speak to you about, Dr. Foster. Are you enjoying your time in Norway?"

"I would have been, had I known I was going," Jane bit back. "A little warning would have been nice. Anyway, the observatory is fantastic but when can I go back to New Mexico – it's important I continue my research there."

"The threat of the Earth has been eradicated for the moment," Agent Hill says. "You're free to continue your work in New Mexico. We're very interested in the prototypes you've sent to Dr. Selvig."

Jane wants to say something, to bite back and show her frustration at being double-crossed by one of her closest colleagues, but she knows Dr. Selvig is remorseful and Thor says he was not of his own mind, so she holds her tongue.

"We'd like you to come to New York."

"I can't go to New York," Jane instantly replies and a few people in the lab turn to look at her. "I mean, my work _is_ in New Mexico – that's the site all my research is based around. There are no stars visible in New York." She doesn't need stars; she's trying to validate the Foster theory, but hell, she doesn't want to open a wormhole in Manhattan. Again. Queens, maybe, but not Manhattan.

"I'm not here to beg, Dr. Foster," says Agent Hill. "You're either in or you're out."

She bites her lip. "Let me think about it. What about my camper? All my equipment?"

"It's all in a secure storage facility," replies Agent Hill. "We'd like it if you would consider working for us in New York, Dr. Foster. Our resident gamma radiation expert, Dr Banner is more than interested in speaking to you about your work. If you accept, we will cover all living costs. There's a furnished apartment on the twentieth floor with your name on it... if you agree, that is, we'd love to have you on board."

Jane can't think. She shakes her head. "I can't make a decision right now, I'm sorry."

"It's all right, Dr. Foster," she says. "Take your time. Sleep on it."

"Thank you," says Jane and clicks her phone off.

* * *

Thor materialises at his father's feet in the great golden Throne Room of the Asgardian Palace. When he comes to his senses, disorientated a little from the beam up, Thor instantly drops to his knees. His brother is nowhere to be seen and the tesseract has disappeared as well. Odin sit on the throne, dressed in cream and golden robes. To Thor he looks weary.

"Father," Thor says.

"Thor," Odin greets his son.

"I am only glad you and the tesseract came back in one piece," Odin says and puts a hand on his son's shoulder. "Loki shall be punished. He has twice now, tried to destroy planets within the realms. This will not be taken lightly… but he is of family.."

Thor closes his eyes tightly. Jane Foster is right, he still does care for Loki and his heart betrays his mind. Loki may have done terrible things, tried to hurt him and his comrades and friends numerously, but he is still his brother. He curses himself for such foolish thoughts.

"The tesseract is back where it belongs, son," Odin says. "Thank you."

"You are welcome father," replies Thor. "Though it was my duty to Asgard."

"I had thought you would be back sooner."

Thor tenses and keeps his eyes on the floor. Although he is allowed to stand before his father, he keeps himself hunched over.

"I apologise, father."

Odin thinks for a moment. A heavy silence falls upon the throne room and he looks to his son. Thor has not moved from the floor, Mjölnir held tightly in his hands.

"Your acts were selfish," said Odin gently. "You swore as a King to cast aside all selfish ambition. You delay your return to warm the bed of a human woman?"

Thor swallows thickly. No doubt Heimdall has told of his brief visit to Jane Foster. Out of the corner of his eye he sees his mother, standing by the doorway. She looks at him briefly. Thor can't remember the last time his father has scolded him like a boy, though, no doubt, it was for the same reason.

"I maintain the peace within the realms. Had you not sent me down, Earth would have been destroyed."

Odin sighs a top of his throne. "These are all duties of a King, my son," he says wearily. "But… you are not King yet."

Thor blinks for a moment and looks up, his sore legs protesting as he stands.

"You've been with Mjölnir for quite some time now," Odin says. Thor looks to his hammer and then to his father. "Mjölnir is a mighty weapon, as you know. It can bring about great destruction." He rises from the throne and approaches his son, slowly descending the steps. "But it can also be a tool to build."

"Build?" Thor replies, feeling the light yet comforting weight of Mjölnir in his hand.

Odin nodded. "I know what it is you want, son. You shall not need to say it out loud. It has been painfully obvious since your return."

Thor opens his mouth to speak. "I wish only to do what is best for the realms."

Odin nodded once. "We must re-establish our connections with Earth. That is what is best for the realms. Earth has always been a planet that needed our protection. That would be a prerogative of a king. What you wish to do after that is your choice."

"Father, I-,"

Odin sighs. "If you are looking for my approval of the human woman, I am afraid cannot give it. Once the Bifrost is rebuilt, you may visit Earth on occasion."

Thor looks to his father, his eyes conveying nothing but seriousness as he acknowledged Odin.

"I love Jane," he announces with fierce determination. He sees his mother approaching them from the corner of his eye, though she says nothing.

Odin sighs and falls back into the Throne. "It is very complicated, my son. Earth is where she belongs. You are to be King of Asgard."

"I know," Thor replies. He looked out to the city, the great golden city he called his home. "Maybe one day, she may like to…"

"Midgardians have barely managed to visit their own moon," Odin replies with a small bite in his tone. He sees the look Thor gives him, his first born son, his heir to the throne and sighs.

"The Bilfrost will not build itself," he said with his back to his son. "You have done great things for us, son. I cannot discourage the happiness you feel after all you have sacrificed for Asgard. In light of that, if you deem the mortal worthy, she may come to Asgard to be by your side."

Thor turns to his father, a great smile plastered across his face. Gripping Mjölnir he says, "Thank you father, you will not regret your decision. Jane is wonderful."

Odin watches as his son goes about his new business. As he leaves, Frigga approaches Odin, a small smile on her face.

"I have never seen our son so happy," she said happily. "So… determined on a task."

Odin sighed and looked to his aging wife. "I just worry."

"Thor knew of his quest when he descended to Midgard," assures Frigga. "Do not doubt him of this. Thor has always been…," Frigga thinks for a moment before settling on, with a small laugh. "_Thor_."

"He is young… mortal lifespans are short," Odin shakes his head. The Queen squeezed his shoulder. "Others have fraternised with mortals. It never ends well."

"I do not want to see him get hurt, either, my beloved. We must trust him on this." She looks at her husband's eyes and smiles. "If he believes her to be a good wife and queen, he shall bring her back to us. But give him time to find this for himself, Odin."

Odin rubs his tired eyes with his forefinger and thumb. His wife laughs and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Come, Odin, let's get something to eat. Our son won't be returning tonight, if he even decides to rest."

"He'll probably work through the night…," Odin laughs gently before following his wife out of the throne room.

* * *

It's in the mid-afternoon and Dr. Jane Foster is analysing some papers for her research, including the paper she's found in S.H.I.E.L.D. folders about Tony Stark creating a new element to stabalise the reactor that powered his suit. That's insanely interesting. Thor had said there was nothing like the tesseract on Earth, but…

She's about to have a brainwave when the phone rings again. She's half tempted not to pick it up, but grabs it on the last ring.

"Hello? This is Dr. Foster," she says absentmindedly while circling around a particular phrase and noting "IMPORTANT" beside it in red pen.

"Dr. Foster," says a distinctly American voice. Jane perks up. "I'm Dr. Bruce Banner. I work with S.H.I.E.L.D. on the odd occasion. I'm a scientist. I worked with Thor. And Eric Selvig."

"I already got a call today from an agent," she says. "I'm in the middle of researching. I don't know if I want to move to New York… I said I would call you back."

"I apologise for intruding then," says Bruce. "But I wished to speak with you myself, Dr. Foster. I read some of your papers while we were working with the tesseract and the 'portal'…"

"Theoretically it _was_ an Einstein-Rosen bridge," she huffs. "_I_ didn't make it, but it was one."

"Yes, you're right," he says. "I looked over your blueprints and prototype designs for the machine and I found them very impressive. It seemed your only limitation is-,"

"A power source," she replies shortly. "I know, and I'm working on it. Hey, what do you know about Tony Stark?"

Bruce laughs over the phone.

"Too much, unfortunately."

Jane knew of Dr. Banner from her time at MIT. She'd been a lowly honours student when he'd been working at MIT as a professor. That was before his accident with the gamma bomb and subsequent transformation. Erik Selvig said he'd known him, but for a long time, she'd just thought it was one of his 'tall tales' from his university days.

"As I said, Dr. Foster, we're looking at your blueprints at the moment. We know their successful, but we don't know how they work - you're the astrophysicist. I have some idea but it's limited. This is your design, Dr. Foster. Nobody knows it like you."

"Tony Stark recently made a new element that would sustain his suit for longer periods of time," Jane mutters off. "If we synthesised the element he made, we could create a larger power source capable of sustaining something much stronger. Thor said there was nothing like the tesseract in Midgard, but we don't _need_ something _that_ strong. I saw the vision on the television. The portal was opened for a substantial amount of time, though Thor's Bifrost cannot be opened for such a period – it's so strong it begins to work its way through to the planet's core. We don't need it that strong or to be opened that long…"

Dr Banner is silent on the other end. Until Jane says,

"Dr. Banner, have you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"Of course," says Dr. Banner, a little breathily. "I'm ordering Tony to fly in from Malibu tomorrow evening." He says. She hears fingers typing on the computer. "First-class or business?"

"Huh?"

"First class or business on your flight, Dr. Foster?"

"Um… ugh, I haven't really thought about it…"

"You're in Tromsø."

Jane sighs and screws her eyes shut. With a squeak she replies. "First class. Fucking first class."

"Fantastic." She thinks Bruce is smiling over the phone. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

It's night on Asgard. Heimdall watches the crown prince of Asgard at the jagged end of the Bifrost raise his hammer and then the whole bridge shakes. He does it again and again and the bridge shakes under his feet. It's been like this all afternoon and he knows that now Thor possesses the power of the tesseract, he will not stop until the bridge is fixed and he is upon Earth again.

Heindall is all seeing, but he's come to realise there are some things that even get past him. The crown prince falling in love with a mortal was one of them. He has to wonder, if the Great Odin planned everything so meticulously, had he planned for this? Heimdall has to think he did not.

Thor rises to his feet and wipes a sweat off his brow with the hand that's not holding Mjölnir and huffs out a large breath of air, evidently surveying the work he had done and the work he had yet to do. Heimdall watched him from a safe distance, though the reverberations of Thor's hammer move through his entire being.

"Perhaps you should rest, my prince," Heimdall suggests. Thor looks over his shoulder.

"I will rest in Valhalla," he replies and throws down his hammer. The shockwaves vibrate the bridge. "There is still much work to be done."

Heimdall approaches Thor as he takes a break. True, the Asgardian Prince has fixed a substantial amount of the rainbow bridge, but there is still much work to be done. He looks over the abyss and into the ever expanding space.

"Can you see her?" Thor asks. He knows Heimdall can.

"Yes," Heimdall replies. "She is working hard. In a great white room. She works with the man that turns green. They are both great scientists."

Thor does not reply. He looks down at his hammer and sighs.

"Rest, Prince," Heimdall said.

Thor loosens his grip on Mjölnir. He considers this. He is tired – weary, perhaps. He is also hungry. Very hungry, and it's very late at night. Thor sighs.

"Now that we have power, it will not take long to build," Heimdall replies.

There is nothing else to say between them. In a parting gesture, he informs Heimdall he'll be back by first light to continue work. He flies back to the tower. He is hungry and tired.

Sif is found in the mess hall. She is sitting by herself with a half-empty stein of mead.

"Lady Sif without the Warriors Three," Thor greets her. "A strange sight indeed. What keeps you up this night?" He takes a plate and fills it with large drumsticks and a oxen leg. He fills a stein of mead for himself from a barrel before sitting across from him.

"Someone's late night hammering," Sif smiles from across the table.

"I apologise, though the Bifrost will not build itself."

"You are going through with this?" she asks him. Thor gives the woman a strange glance. "Earth and Misgard, I mean?"

"Of course I am."

Sif takes a gulp of her mead. "And the mortal?"

"Jane," Thor replies guardedly. "Is there something you wish to say, Lady Sif? You should not be worried of my reaction, I hold your opinion with the utmost respect."

"I understand you wish to rebuild the Bifrost, but what do you intend to do at Earth? Are you coming back to Asgard? What of your father?"

"I love Jane," he replies. "I travel there to be with her. Perhaps one day she will travel here. Perhaps she shall even be my queen."

Sif watches as Thor picks up the Ox leg and bites into it. She can't help but smile at him when he waggles his eyebrows at her. Is he truly in love? How can he know what it means? Despite this, she has to think he is. In all the decades they've known each other, a woman has never kept his attention for a few hours let alone more or less a Misgardian year.

"How do you know she won't be like the others?" Sif asks poignantly to Thor. He knows what she means.

"I do not expect her to be," he replies honestly. "But I plan to have a lot of fun finding out."

Sif rolls her eyes at her childhood friend. There is no changing him.

Thor downs the rest of his mead and wipes the froth off his beard.

"I must retire now," he smiled. "Work and rest."

"When is play?" Sif smiles.

Thor gives her a wink and she can't help but chuckle.

* * *

Thank you to all that reviewed the last chapter. I know this chapter is well overdue, but I was super busy and though it was pre-written it was a mess. It needed a whole heap of editing that I finally got around to doing. Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoyed!

A big thank you to those people who reviewed the last chapter:

**Lcsaf **  
** FostersonFanForever **  
** Wonderwomanbatmanfan **  
** Sokka2Me **  
** Serena Bancroft **  
** Artificial Life Creator**  
** Artificial Life Creator **  
** Samix3Bieber**  
** Salandra **

**DPrincess **

**Tricky-trax **  
** Rosalie93 **  
& **vampireadtic.**

Again, thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please take the time to leave a quick review before you go!

See you next time,

**Arlia'Devi.**


	5. Chapter 5

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 5**

"**aut viam inveniam aut faciam.**"  
_I'll either find a way or make one_

From the outside, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters is just another run-of-the-mill skyscraper in Manhattan. It's one of the thousands of cubicle offices for the first floor, and there's an elevator. Jane is given a corporate looking card and a lanyard upon entrance and then shown to an elevator through a hallway of people, probably agents, sitting at computers. She swipes the card and a little light goes green.

"Foyer – Agent Hill and Dr. Banner are waiting for you, Dr. Foster," says the agent.

"Thanks," Jane says as the doors close. She presses the key 'F' for foyer and it's a short trip. The elevator opens to a large greeting area and many people are walking around looking terribly busy.

Jane Foster has always preferred working outside than in a lab. Sure, she's been in her fair share of labs over the course of her professional life, but none like this. The laboratories S.H.I.E.L.D. possesses are of ridiculous quality with the most amazing technology she's ever seen. It is a long way from her run-down condo and camper in New Mexico, that is for sure.

And she is getting paid too. It isn't just university or government funding, a little bit from NASA, or Washington, here or there, Jane is on a salary – a six digit motherfucking salary, not including funding. That is the dream, right? Sure, S.H.I.E.L.D. is sometimes frustrating with all the 'it's confidential' and on a 'need to know' basis stuff but for six figures plus funding she can definitely look over that.

Dr. Banner greets her. Jane's first impression of him is that he seems hunched over and it feels a little awkward around him. He only gives off small smiles and gestures. It feels like he is trying to keep in control at all moments. Jane realises, he probably is.

"Nice to finally meet you, Dr. Foster," says Bruce as he shakes Jane's hand. "Your work is very interesting."

"Likewise, Dr. Banner," she smiles well-naturedly. "Thank you for calling me… Did you get onto Tony Stark?"

She hears Agent Hill clear her throat and Bruce looks over Jane's shoulder, something sparking in his eye. The sides of his mouth curl up.

"I'm working on it," he assures her gently.

"Mr. Stark does not like to be disturbed," says Agent Hill.

"Especially not when it's a sunny 93 degrees in Malibu," agrees Banner. "But leave it to me." He assures Jane she'll get the chance to speak with him about what she wishes.

Next, Agent Hill gives Jane a tour of the complex. Dr Banner heads back to the laboratory, taking the same elevator. There are a few people who wish to take the elevator as well, but they all hesitate when Dr. Banner steps into it.

"We hope you will like the facilities we offer, Dr. Foster," Maria says. "We'll take a tour of the laboratories later and reunite with Dr. Banner. I'll show you where you'll be staying."

They walk across the building to another set of elevators. They get in and Jane notices the floors – 'F' to '37'. Maria hits the button for level 31. Shit. She hopes there isn't a balcony.

There isn't a balcony in her apartment but it covers half of the floor. It's much bigger than her camper, that's for sure. It's not a penthouse, but it will do.

The door opens to an open plan living area – there's a modest sized kitchen, complete with a refrigerator and complex oven/stove system, as well as a floating island bench top. Across from the kitchen is a lounge space with a long three seater lounge, kidney shaped and sitting in front of a wall-mounted television. There are windows either side of the television that offer the room natural light.

They venture deeper into the apartment.

The bathroom is something else. It's bright and reminds her of New Mexico. The tiling is a bright orange and there's white tiling to the roof. Every now and then there's a different coloured tile lining ¾ up the wall – plum purple, hot orange, mellow yellow and grass green. By the large bathtub sit three folded green towels. There's a large basin, a mirror and of course, a toilet, but in the corner there's a shower cell with translucent glass– simple, clean and practical.

"It's one bedroom," Maria says as they come to the only bedroom. "I hope that isn't a problem."

It's not a problem. The bed room is adequate. Simple – at least it's not an inlet in a camper. It's a king bed with a sturdy bed frame and a red quilt. The walls are painted an earthy brown colour.

"It's lovely."

"I think it is," Maria smiled. For an agent, she was strangely approachable. She would have liked to see her try and swipe her stuff from her New Mexico lab. "Are you hungry? We have chefs working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the kitchens."

"No," Jane replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go and see the labs."

* * *

Dr. Banner meets Jane in the labs and they spend a lot of time looking around and chatting. Dr. Banner informs Jane he's read many of her papers in the field of astrophysicists, although that's not where his strengths lie as a scientist. Jane has read some of Dr. Banner's papers as well and the labs that he's working in are amazing.

Jane comes to a large computer screen where a blueprint for a sort of portal is being displayed. Dr. Banner comes to her side.

"This was one of my protoypes to try and open the Einstein-Rosen Bridge for Thor," Jane mutters. "I sent this to Dr. Selvig for his opinions. I never thought he'd steal it for me and use it for… well, evil."

Dr. Banner managed a wry grin. "It's a fantastic design. It's a pity it uses so much energy."

Jane sighs and sits down at the computer. She opens her satchel and takes out some documents, opening them to Dr. Banner.

"I was going through some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s papers and reports," she says, handing Dr. Banner a report regarding Tony Stark's creation of a new element. "Around a year ago, Mr. Stark's palladium arc reactor was failing. The reactor, built for its original purpose as a magnetising tool, will run for approximately 5,000 years."

Dr. Banner took the paper and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Magnetising does not exert much power, however," he muttered.

"It reports here that _Stark's Arc Reactor is not suitable power source for the Mark III Iron Man armour._ _One fifth is depleted from simple flying thrusters," _says Jane,"_Mr. Stark is also being fatally poisoned from the palladium within his Arc Reactor. _He created a new element that could successfully power his suit."

"Stark Tower now runs on clean energy, based off the Arc Reactor's design," mutters Dr. Banner. "He would not shut up about it, frankly."

"If I could get him to synthesise a decent amount of… whatever the hell he's made, into something sizeable then it could possibly be a large enough power source for the machine to create a bridge."

"A plausible option," Dr. Banner agrees, handing back the paper to Jane. "Don't hold your hopes up he'll be so eager, however, Dr. Foster."

"Call me Jane."

"Call me Bruce, then," he smiles. "Tony Stark is a narcissistic at best. I'll call him again, but don't get your hopes up, Dr. Foster. He'll come to New York eventually… I think Dr. Selvig is still around," he says. "I'll go make this call."

Jane stiffens. Erik Selvig is one of the last people she wants to see at the moment. It may be cruel, but she's not in the right state of mind to approach him yet, and she hopes, even if he hears that she is now living within a close proximity, he will not seek her out. Jane loves Erik, but she cannot forgive him. Not yet.

Dr. Banner is on the phone in the corner. "What do you mean, a sudden love for _kintsukuroi_? No, I don't know what that is! Pottery? Tony -," there's a pause. "No, I'm not getting angry." Bruce turns to Jane and puts the phone down and presses 'speaker'.

"You sure sound angry," says the tinny voice of Tony Stark through the line. "Hey am I on loudspeaker here? Hello?"

"I'm not angry," repeats Bruce. "I have Dr. Jane Foster with me. She wishes to speak with me."

"Is she clothed this time?" he asks. Jane flames red and Bruce shoots her a look she chooses to ignore.

"I want to speak with you about the new element you created," she begins.

"Oh yes," he says. "I haven't exactly given it a name yet. I'm thinking Starkrium. _Tonigen_. Someone was nice enough to give Thor is own element. Ultimate form of flattery there."

Jane understands what Bruce means now.

"How long can your new reactor sustain your suit for?"

Tony sighs over the phone. "Listen," he says flatly. "I'll be in New York for two weeks starting next weekend. We can talk then. Right now I'm cruising down a beach in a soft-top corvette; red, by the way, with the lovely Pepper Potts by my side. I really don't want to think about this now. I'll think about it then. Next weekend, Dr. Foster. Goodbye."

The line goes dead. Jane sighs and falls back into her chair.

It's Friday and Jane Foster finishes her shift in the laboratories at S.H.I.E.L.D. and goes to have a shower in her new, strange and spacious quarters. She gets dressed in casual clothes. She doesn't feel like sleeping yet. She's not used to set hours in the laboratories. When she was self-employed and researching, she would work the hours she wanted, often not taking breaks. Now Jane finds herself at loss for what to do.

So she goes to the library.

* * *

It's only five o'clock which is a normal ending time for anyone who's been working since nine that morning, but Jane just can't wind down. She exits the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and calls for a cab, something she's never done before. It pulls over and she climbs in the back, trying to get comfortable as the driver impatiently waits for directions.

"Where do you want to go, lady?" Jane is too busy trying to pull on her seatbelt.

"Um. The Public Library of New York," she says. "Do you know where that is?"

The driver doesn't reply and pulls out of the curb. The traffic is bad in New York. The cab fare costs her a fortune and she realises by the time she gets to the library she could have walked it herself from the tower. Hastily, Jane pays the taxi driver and approaches the grand building.

Jane doesn't like New York. Not that much anymore, but if she had to choose one thing she liked about New York it would be the library. It's a glorious building, something beautiful crushed between buildings so high it's suffocating. She's glad this survived the destruction and enters the building, rushing up the steps to the entrance.

For a long time, Jane merely wanders around. There aren't many people in the library – probably because it is rush hour and everyone is going home for the day and she finds it refreshing to be somewhat alone with her thoughts and books - endless books.

She wonders what Thor thought of the city, though, she realises, he probably didn't have much time for sight-seeing. Maybe next time he can. She hopes he can, as long as there's nothing threatening the Earth and they can spend time together. Dr. Banner doesn't think they've seen the end of the chitauri. She hopes they have.

Jane spends some time in the science sector of the library, but it's too vast and too much for her to digest right now. There are too many books to sift through and she doesn't have the energy or the mental stamina for such a task. She needs lighter reading.

She leaves the science department in search for something she isn't entirely sure of. For a while she just floats between sectors and areas – into natural history, and then ancient, to politics and war, to great literature, until eventually she finds it. She looks to the sign, and then she looks to the rows of bookcases and takes a deep breath in.

**MYTHOLOGY.**

There's Roman and Greek mythology and a lot of it. Egyptian mythology – stuff taught when she was in high school and a lot the books are aimed at audiences under ten. She doesn't want that, nor does she want a published paper assessing the impact of mythology and the worship of deities on ancient cultures. But she finds one.

"_A Guide to Norse Mythology and How it Shaped Today's Northern Europe."_

She doesn't care how it shaped today's Europe. Jane sits down at a table and opens the paper, scanning the contents of around fifty different gods and goddesses scribed about until she finds his name. _Thor – page 3,25,41,42,43,.._

Her hands fly to page 41, since there are consecutive page numbers.

"_Thor_," the page reads in dark, blotchy writing. The paper must be old. Jane checks. It was published in the 70's. Though, she supposes, when dealing with ancient beings and cultures, this is still pretty recent.

"_Thor was the son of Odin and the God of Thunder in many Norse and Germanic mythology. Looking to the many artefacts archaeologists have found baring the symbol of Mjölnir, Thor's Hammer, in Northern Europe, he seems to be the most popular and well-loved god. Variants of Thor's hammer have been found within archaeological digs throughout northern and parts of middle and southern Europe. In southern Europe, Thor's popularity and image is likened to Greek Hero Heracles – both individuals who, despite their human-like stature, possess unworldly strength."_

Jane skips over a lot. It's all about Mjölnir and Loki. She doesn't have time to read about the ambiguity of Thor's mother. Something else catches her eye.

"_Thor marries_-,"

"The library is closing," a voice pulls her up from the paper. It's a middle-aged librarian. Jane gushes.

"Sorry," she says and gathers her things, though she's not as keen to put the paper on the shelf. "Can I borrow this overnight?"

"Do you have an account with the library?" asks the librarian. Jane says she doesn't – she's only just moved to New York. The librarian sets up an account for Jane, registers the paper to her and Jane leaves.

She's walking back to S.H.I.E.L.D., but it's not as easy as she thinks. She's in inner-city New York and she doesn't know the street grid location. Of course, she can't just ask anyone if they know where the super-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters is, and she doesn't know what they're passing the building off to be in the eyes of the general public – a law firm? An accounting block? Vogue?

She does, however, know how to call a cab (she's gotten good at this, though a man in front of her gets ignored) and asks for him to take her to Stark Tower. He hesitates at this because the roads aren't repaired yet and it will be a long fare. She doesn't mind. She's already spent a fortune today on transport.

The area is chewed up, indeed, but there's a few roads that are leading through the construction. The taxi driver is a lot friendlier than the one before.

"Do you work for Mr. Stark?" he asks to Jane.

"No," Jane replies. "He is a friend."

"Oh cool," says the driver. "He's so awesome. I mean, he made that suit himself you know. I…saw the whole thing – the battle I mean. I was intense."

"Really?" Jane pretends to be impressed. They drive past an area construction workers are surfacing. Ahead, not obscured by a fence is a large crater. A _large_ crater.

"Who did that?" asks Jane, mainly because she already has a good idea and just wants to be proved right.

The driver looks at the crater and replies, "Oh yeah, man I saw the whole thing. This great blonde dude with a giant hammer came down and smashed that robot bug right there. It was insane."

He pulls up at Stark Tower and Jane pays the man before he drives off. Entering the lobby of Stark Towers is insane. It's still being rebuilt, but it is hard to believe that like this district of New York City, it was almost completely destroyed.

"Can I help you ma'am?" asks the receptionist. He's in his early twenties and has his hair slicked back. Jane approaches him.

"I was wondering if I could see Tony Stark for a moment. My name is Jane. Jane Foster."

"I'm sorry," says the receptionist. "Mr. Stark is completely booked out for the rest of the evening. I'm afraid you'll have to make an appointment in the morning."

Jane huffs and flips her hair back. She doesn't like it when people refuse her requests, and she has asked nicely.

"I'm sorry," she replies back to him. "I must not have introduced myself properly. But you will inform Mr. Stark of my presence right away. I am Dr. Jane Foster, I have a two PhD's in astrophysics and quantum mechanics and information regarding technology he will no doubt be _very_ interested, so I suggest, unless you want to lose your part-time job while studying Arts at NYU or whatever, you let him know I am here. _Immediately_."

All she wants is directions back to S.H.I.E.L.D., but she thinks it is to play the 'I'm somebody' card in a city that is all about who is who.

It works.

"Yes, of course, ma'am," replies the receptionist and dials the phone. He spokes to someone, a receptionist about 'Dr. Jane Foster, Astrophysicist' in the foyer.

Jane lingers in the foyer for a moment, admiring an artwork when golden doors to an elevator opened and Tony Stark walks out. The receptionist cowers a little behind his desk and avoids eye contact.

"Dr. Foster," Tony Stark says seriously, walking to her and shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you. What brings you to Stark Tower? I made a meeting with one-eye and Banner tomorrow afternoon."

"As have I, Mr. Stark," she replies. She assumes by 'one-eye', he means Fury. "I didn't know Bruce had spoken with you today. I apologise. I must be intruding."

"I've read quite a few of your papers, Dr. Foster," says Tony. He ushers to the elevator. "It's no trouble. Would you like to come up for a drink?"

"Oh, no, thank you," Jane replies, a little flustered. "I just wanted to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. I finished work and went to the library, not realising I had no idea what street the building's on, or what it's even called to get back to it. I thought I'd come here for directions." She hates herself as soon as she's said it. Jane Foster, the brilliant scientist, lost in New York and needing directions. "New Yorks bigger than New Mexico."

"I suppose it is," Tony gives her a wry grin. "Dinner's still on the table. Come up, Dr. Foster, I would love to speak with you further about your, um, interstellar portal thing."

"Einstein-Rosen Bridge," she supplies when Tony is struggling with the names.

"Dinner, a drink and I'll take you straight back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Come on, my seafood marinara is better than the crap they serve up in the mess halls."

She has to accept. There's no choice. Her stomach rumbles.

Pepper Potts is a very charming woman, despite her odd name. She wears her strawberry blonde hair around her face, though her bangs have been pinned back and she has on a peach peplum dress. She's the one cooking when Tony and Jane arrive at the penthouse. Jane stumbles through, feeling her jeans and a t-shirt to be very much underdressed within their company.

"Pepper, dearest," calls Tony, "This is Dr. Jane Foster. You know," he makes a reference to the ends of his hair and twirls them around his fingers. "Goldilocks' girlfriend. Very intelligent – a genius in her field, in fact."

Jane wonders if his flattery was trying to deter away from his comment on Thor. She doesn't have time to think about it though, because Pepper is shaking her hand and saying how nice it is to meet her. Tony has popped some wine and gives a glass to Jane. It's mind-numbingly delicious and it's probably expensive as shit.

"How do you like New York?" asks Pepper as they sit down at a glass top table. "You've just moved here, right?"

"A week ago."

"Sorry about the state of commotion," Pepper replies. "It's usually much, um… cleaner than this."

"Stark Tower usually doesn't have a gaping hole in its side," Tony mutters and brings the marinara pot to the table.

"So you're working with Dr. Banner?" asks Tony. "He expressed his interest in working with you while we were, ahem, 'assembled'," he snorts at this word and Pepper rolls her eyes. "But your boyfriend didn't want you coming in. Various reasons."

"Thor told me," replied Jane. "I understand, though the portal they were using to open the portal Loki came through is mine. I sent the prototype blueprints to Selvig to look over. I knew it would work. I just needed a great power source."

Tony looks over to Jane and taps his chest, his fingernail scratching at the metal reactor. "That's where this comes in?"

Jane nods. "Your ability to create a new element that can sustain a greater power usage than palladium could be used to power the machine that could open a bridge."

Tony begins eating, cracking open a muscle and slurping down the contents. Pepper pours Jane a glass of white wine.

"You see the only problem is that, I've only made a small piece of it. It's powering the tower at the moment, but the amount will only perhaps last for a year. That's what I'm all about now. Greater green energy sources. If you could determine how much energy it's going to take to open a portal, I don't know, to the other side of the room, then I can figure out how much will need to be made. I've decided to call it vibranium, by the way."

Jane nods and eats her pasta silently. Tony swallows and takes a sizable gulp of wine.

"The thing is, I found out, thanks to your hammer-toting beau, vibranium has the capacity to store a large quantity of energy, more than it creates," says Tony through a prawn.

"What do you mean?"

Tony swallows. "Vibranium only creates a certain amount of energy – a lot of energy, mind you, but it has the potential to store quite a bit too. Goldilocks hit me with one of his lightning strikes or whatever," he clears his throat. "The suit went up to four hundred percent capacity. I know that if it was still the palladium arc reactor, it would have short-circuited and probably spontaneously combusted."

"So you're saying if we could get Thor to charge the vibranium, it would quadruple it's energy potential?"

Tony Stark nods. "Essentially."

"Does it have to be Thor? Couldn't we just use a conductor to attract high-voltage lightning to the vibranium?"

Tony shrugs. "It could work. Some tesla coils? A key attached to a kite string, even, since I assume Thor isn't the most reliable power source in town. "

From the other side of the table, Pepper watches her partner and the astrophysicist continue their scientific jargon banter. She takes a sip of her wine and sighs. Sometimes she wishes Tony didn't bring his work to the table, whether it is Dummy serving them food or Tony having a heated discussion to JARVIS rather than her. But as she watches the man continue to speak with Dr. Foster about charging elements and worm holes and planets in outer space, she smiles.

"Pep?" Tony's voice breaks her out of her reverie. She only notices then she's been staring at him, her mouth slightly open and her fork resting in mid-air. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she gushes and drops the fork. Quickly, she grabs the bottle of wine. "Your discussion is so intriguing. More wine?"

* * *

Thanks for the reviews everyone. I know this is a little late - I've been rather busy, but I am really happy with this chapter and glad it's up. Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed in the past, I really appreciate you taking the time to write a quick review! Please, share the love. :)

I hope to have the next chapter up soon. I'm also working on an Iron Man fanfic, and another Thor oneshot, so please look out for those!

Until next time!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	6. Chapter 6

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 5**

"**sedit qui timuit ne non succederet." **  
He who feared he would not succeed sat still.

It's mid-afternoon on Asgard. It's a warm day and Thor is sweating. He wishes he wasn't wearing his armour. He longs for the light clothes he had worn on Midgard. The light fabrics of the pants and top Jane had given him to clothe himself breathed well and they would have been more desirable than the armour he is wearing now.

Heimdall is standing in the middle of the golden sphere Thor has finished building, looking around wordlessly and surveying the work with his eyes. Heimdall doesn't have to say much, Thor has a notion as to what he is thinking: that he is glad to have a perch back; his purpose back, a seat in which from to watch the worlds. Thor is sitting on the pedestal in the centre of the room, near the vessel for Heimdall's sword sits. Within the vessel, at the bottom of the Bifrost is the tesseract, which powers the site. The guardian is seen looking around the sphere, though he does not move. Thor chuckles.

"Is my workmanship suitable, Heimdall?" Thor asks as he comes to his feet. He is weary and wants food. The Bifrost is almost ready, but he cannot travel to Midgard in such a weak state. It has been two Midgardian months since he was in the city of New York. It has been a long time, but Jane Foster has waited longer.

"It shall suffice," replies Heimdall. Thor knows it to be a good answer as if it was not up to standard; he would have been made aware of it. "When do you plan to leave?"

"I shall rest and replenish," Thor replies, striding out of the Bifrost and onto the Rainbow Bridge which is pulsating colours. "Then I shall go."

Heimdall nods and watches his prince leave the Bifrost and go back to the tower. 0nce again, he steps to the platform, intending on keeping watch on all realms. There is an outburst of emotion within him as he steps to the pedestal, running his hand over the smooth hilt of his sword. He watches Thor fly to the castle, underneath him a sea of illuminating rainbow.

In the afternoon, Thor enters the mess hall a little roughly. His hair is still wet and he's cut himself a little on the end of his jaw with the shaving blade. It's already healing. A few people stop eating to watch as he loads up his plate and bypasses the mead, before sitting down and starting to eat.

"You finished the Bifrost?" asks Volstagg, shifting over from the end of the table to sit by Thor.

"Yes," he replies through a mouthful of swine. "It is completed."

"You are leaving then?" adds Hogan. "For Midgard?"

"If you wish to seek me out, that is where I shall be."

The Warriors Three exchange looks at that moment.

"You have taken many measures," says Fandral. "For the mortal." His hand runs over his own beard, noticing that Thor's has been cut shorter but is not entirely gone.

"None she has not taken for me," Thor replies, finishing his swine and leaving the bone on the plate with a clutter. He is about to leave when Volstagg touches his wrist.

"Do not leave so brashly, brother," he smiles. "We will not see you for some time. Are you sure this is what you want? Why not throw one great feast tonight, before your departure?"

Thor does not think well of this. "The Bifrost needed to be repaired nonetheless," replies Thor. "And my venture to Midgard is essential. There are many things I owe to Jane Foster, lest it tarnish my honour."

The Warriors Three do not know any more than he has told them. Yes, the trip was associated with honour, but not entirely and they have met Jane on Midgard. Yet, they do know of his feelings toward her but not how deeply they run. He speaks with Lady Sif of these matters because she is a lady, and frankly, The Warriors Three care little for matters of the heart.

"Have a safe trip brother," says Hogun, shaking his hand tightly. "Do not forget about us here."

"I shall not," he affirms with a tight squeeze. "And should my brothers need my aid, in battle or where else, I shall be there. You only must call for me and I shall come."

The Warriors Three nod and Thor smiles.

"I shall be king of Asgard, and when my father calls me, I will return. At this moment, however, I have debts in Midgard I must attend to. But you must visit in your free time. Midgard has many pleasures you would enjoy. The feasting is wondrous." Fandral's eyebrow shoots up and he gives his companions a lazy grin. They roll their eyes. Thor laughs.

* * *

It's a Wednesday mid-morning and Jane's working in the lab. Somehow, with the power of some mighty god out there (whoever it was), she's got step-by-step instructions on how to create vibranium. She doesn't know who cornered Tony into writing it all out for her, but she has to thank them – even if it's in comic sans print with curly cursive calligraphy header and annoying the hell out of her. He hardly ever gives anything out to S.H.I.E.L.D. but somehow she thinks she owes Pepper Potts a cocktail next time she's in New York. The two flew out to their Los Angeles home after their second visit yesterday morning. Stark Tower's been repaired.

It's a complicated process. Making vibranium, that is. A whole lot of effort is going to have to go into making just a tiny bit of it.

"That a lot of work," says Dr. Banner over her shoulder. Jane jumps.

"Don't do that to me!" she shoots back him and Bruce chuckles gently.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Dr. Foster," he says, returning to his work station with a coffee. "Anyway, how much of that stuff do you need to make?"

Jane sighs. "A lot. Do we know how much energy the tesseract used to power the portal?"

"Apparently they did," replies Bruce. "But they're all at a bottom of a sink hole now."

"Fantastic."

"Dr. Selvig would have an idea."

Jane nods but doesn't say a word. Apparently, Dr. Selvig is still around in rehabilitation. Sometimes she hears he's gone to different S.H.I.E.L.D. locations for work, or to speak to some therapists, but Jane doesn't know. She feels guilty and cruel, but she just can't go to see him. At least he hasn't sought her out yet.

"I think he's coming back here this weekend. Why don't you speak with him, Dr. Foster?"

"Perhaps," she replies, and that's all she wants to say on the matter.

Dr. Banner, however, isn't as meek as she had originally thought he would be.

"He asks about you-,"

"Bruce, I don't want to know," she replies hotly. "Please, just let it go."

Bruce snaps his jaw shut and goes back to his work, taking a sip of his coffee. No one likes to snap back at him now days. Not since The Other Guy may just snap back – like your ribs, or your neck.

For a long time after that, it's silent. All that can be heard is the whirling of computers and the tapping of fingers on keys. Steve strolls past the lab, looks into the windows and sees Bruce. He comes inside with a can of coke. He's glad that some things have remained the same since the war, and his favourite soda hasn't changed that much.

"Is this Dr. Foster?" he asks, smiling and extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Foster."

"Thanks," Jane gets up and dusts off her skirt before shaking his hand as well. It's a strong grip, and he's probably holding back from crushing her hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

"I hope Dr. Banner isn't giving you too much trouble," he smiled and look toward Bruce. Bruce rolled his eyes in reply.

His phone buzzed suddenly and Bruce took the call, excusing himself out of the lab to talk. Jane went back to her notes and Steve nosed around.

"Did Tony Stark do this for you?"

Jane nodded.

"How the hell you got him to do anything for you is beyond me," he laughed and put the paper down. He didn't understand a point of it.

"Yes," she replied with a small smile. "It's not without his personal touch. Comic sans and French script isn't exactly the standard for scientific documents. It makes me feel like I'm reading a children's picture book."

"Sounds like him," remarks Steve. "Good luck with that. See you around, Dr. Foster. It was nice to meet you."

Jane wishes the same before going back to her work.

To make the amount of vibranium she needs is going to take a lot of work. She sighs. But she has to do it, because she's so close to being credited with this theory, and two, she's insane about Thor and if he can't rebuild his own Bifrost, she'll be damned if she won't build her own.

Sometimes her mind wanders to Erik. She wants to go to see him, truly she does... but –

Jane shakes her head. Unable to look at the computer for much longer, she heads to the cafeteria to make a coffee for herself. There she finds Agent Maria Hill and approaches her.

"Thank you for sorting everything out."

"It's no problem Dr. Foster," says Agent Hill. "It was no trouble. I hope the room is suitable?"

"Very, and you don't have to be formal – it's Jane."

Agent Hill nods once. "Very well, Jane. It's Maria, by the way."

"I can't stand to look at the computer anymore and Tony Stark is annoying the hell out of me," she shakes her head and sits down, flipping out her phone. It works now she's back in US territory and she sends a quick text to Darcy before looking up to Maria.

She's gone.

A little annoyed, since she was interested in speaking with the woman, Jane sighs and punches in Darcy's number on the odd chance that she may pick up. It's 10:30am, so she's probably still drunk, asleep or at her university class. Jane guesses the middle one. She's right.

"Hello?" says Darcy drowsily. "What do you want?"

"Darcy, it's Jane," she speaks. "I'm back in America."

"Oh cool!" says Darcy, her enthusiasm drugged over by her half-concious state. "Where are you?"

"… New York."

There's an audible cry from Darcy on the other end. "What?"

"I'm in New York. I live here now."

"No way. Is Thor there? Are you working for S.H.I.E.L.D. there? Do you like it? Can you even see the stars?"

"Too many questions," Jane shook her head and laughed. "Thor's not here. He hasn't come back yet. I'm working for them, yes. New York is still very messy. I don't know how I feel about it. I can't see the stars, but with this job, I don't really have to…"

"Are you coming back to New Mexico?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders and for a moment, struggled with the words. "I – I don't know, Darc… Keep the camper safe for me while I'm gone, right?"

"Yeah," mumbled Darcy. "No worries…"

"You can visit whenever you want. I'd really like that."

"Sure, Jane… Let me know how you're going, alright? And call me the _instant_ that hunk of a Norse god comes back down to earth! I have to go now, I have stuff to do, but take care of yourself Jane."

"Thanks Darcy. Um, you too."

Darcy hurries her goodbyes and the line goes dead. Jane clicks off the phone. She looks around the cafeteria. It's empty.

* * *

Yet that night the Warriors Three insist on a goodbye celebration. Thor is given a large feast for fixing the Bifrost and once again returning stability to Asgard. This means he leaves later than originally planned. His body is burning in anticipation, and he's sure he's drunk too much mead and ate too much food. He should sleep, and leave in the morning. Thor knows he should retire, because he's entering the state of burning longing for a woman to share his bed for the night, and he knows how to get to one of the women who's been stirring his loins lately. She's just a rainbow ride away.

The night drags on and Thor gets drunker. He is convinced quite easily to leave his departure for the morning. Of course, he has not begun to pack yet. While he knows he does not need to pack many clothes, for he shall purchase them on Midgard in an endeavour to blend in, there is still much else he wishes to bring from home – a barrel of mead being one of them. He does not know much about fermented beverages on Midgard, but he assumes they will not satisfy him as much as mead will.

Early in the morning, Thor finally retires to his own quarters. He sleeps, sleeps of the mead and the warm feelings flooding through his veins, until mid-morning when he rises, bathes and get dressed. Today he shall travel to Midgard. He does not know where he will land on Midgard, whether it shall be close to his Jane or not, but he knows to go to the city of New York – to seek out the Man of Iron and request his assistance.

He has not begun to prepare for the trip, but leaves his quarters as something else presses on his mind. With Mjölnir in his hand, Thor descends into the dark recesses of the palace, nodding to the Asgardian guards who watch the border to some of the most secret rooms.

He knows he will be told of going down to visit his brother – his brother in exile, in punishment. The guards shall tell the Allfather, and he may approach him about it but Thor does not care. However Loki may loathe his family, he shall always be his brother.

Thor approaches his brother's cell, heavily guarded and impenetrable without a weapon like Mjölnir. Loki's magic, as powerful as it is, cannot breach the confines.

"Brother," says Loki gently. "Have you come to say goodbye?"

"The Bifrost has been repaired," replies Thor. "Today I leave for Midgard."

"Send my regards to them all," he smiles gently. "Especially your little woman."

Thor's face contorts. His brother is much different than he had been not so long ago. Sometimes he doesn't understand. Sometimes he wants to think some sort of weevil has travelled into his brain and implanted evil. Loki has always been cunning, always been manipulative – but he has never been evil.

Thor, with all words said, leaves.

Sometime later, he begins to pack. He takes a large barrel of mead, for he knows Midgard cannot have something as delicious as this – the boilermaker he had tried with the Dr. Selvig, but Midgardians cannot hold their liquor well. He half expects to see Sif, or the Warriors Three, and he is surprised when throughout the day they do not seek him out. Perhaps they continued partying on throughout the nights.

He is not surprised, however, when the Allfather calls for his presence. Thor attends to his father's call swiftly and meets him in his quarters only moments later. His mother is not around.

"You visited your brother," says Odin as Thor rises from his bow.

"He is still my brother – I wished to say goodbye. I know not when I shall see him again."

The Allfather nods and takes Thor's reasoning without much protest. No one was supposed to visit the prisoner.

"You should see your mother before you leave, my son," Odin says. "Upon your departure, you should know what I expect of you."

Thor nods. "I thank you father," he says gravely. "I realise this is a privilege; I shall not take your word lightly. Have you call for me, I shall come back to Midgard without hesitation."

Odin nods sagely. "You are a good warrior. You are a good son and you are a good man," he touches his son's shoulder and squeezes it. "One day, you know you will be King of Asgard, you will be responsible for keeping the peace in the realms. And you say you are serious about this woman," he sighs. "Then I support you, son."

"Thank you, father," Thor nods.

"You are always welcomed back. You and your woman – you and your family. But be warned, humans lives are cut short. Some barely live a few decades before they perish."

Thor nods. "I know this, father. Thank you."

"Have a pleasant trip, my son." He takes his hand and shakes it heartily.

After a goodbye, he leaves the quarters and goes back to his own. For a moment, Thor wonders if he should take anything other than mead. He has enough to last him quite some time and he can always come back for more now the Bifrost is completed. In fact, he can travel back to Asgard, and his friends may even travel down to Asgard whenever they choose. He decides against it and only takes the armour on his back, Mjölnir and mead before travelling to the beginning of the rainbow road. Surprisingly, his mother is there, waiting for him.

"Mother," he rushes to her, wondering if something is wrong. She seems distraught. "What is the matter?"

"You are truly leaving then?" she asks. "Thor, Son of Odin?"

He nods. "Yes. I wish to be with Jane. My honour lies on Midgard, where I have promised to return to her."

His mother looks away and steps back for a moment. Her hands are clasped together tightly.

"You have worked hard to be by her side," his mother speaks then, looking at her son. "She is not like any other woman you have pursued, is she?"

Thor shakes his head. She truly is not.

His mother looks at her hand then. Her fingers are adorned with several beautiful rings. She laughs and Thor realises that these are tears of happiness.

"On Midgard, it is a tradition to give your heart a ring to symbolise your bond," she says. "Did you know that, Thor?"

He did not know that. He says so. His mother laughs gently at him.

"It seems you may have more to learn about Midgard customs than you may think," she smiles. It's a well-natured smile as his mother takes a ring off her index finger and hands it to Thor.

"I trust my son, the son of the great Odin, to make the right decision when choosing a queen. If she is of your heart, you shall give her this." She hands Thor the ring – it is truly beautiful. It's a brassy-yellow gold, with a rustic ruby gem being hugged by two sizable diamonds.

"This is beautiful," Thor says appreciatively. "Thank you."

"There is much I need to tell you before you leave, Thor," she says and watches as her son looks over her shoulder at the Bifrost before her. "I knew you would be in haste to leave, but please, listen to what I say."

"Of course," he nods and concedes to his mother. She takes his hand in his, and he notices how small it is. His mother is beautiful beyond compare. She takes him towards a small garden – there were trees with great golden apples hanging from the branches. There's a small stool under the tree and she sits down, dragging her son down with her. She ghosts a thumb over his knuckles.

"You are such a man now," she croons and laughs, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, my son – once you were a babe in my arms, and now you are grown."

"What is it you wished to tell me mother?" he presses.

"Is your mortal beautiful?"

A smile touches his lips. "Beyond compare. Her brain works in many ways I did not think possible. She has hair like the richest cocoa."

His mother nods. "When humans were first born, when they first walked the earth and looked to the sky and wondered how they'd come about, our people were so infatuated with them. Our ancestors, and us, were worshipped by the Midgardians as gods. They wanted protection and purpose, and perhaps it was our ego complex, but as you know, apotheosis is an intoxicating thing…," she laughed and fixed a curl in her hair. "Well, you know."

Thor laughs. He's had his fair of superiority complexes – his entire family has. He wonders briefly if the feeling is a curse. If being worshipped so wholly is a curse.

"You will become a great king one day, my son," says Frigga. "I have no doubt of this, but Earth is the target of great violence, of alien armies. Their possession of the tesseract, there may still be rumours in the darkest corners of the realms that it is still in the Midgardian's possession." She squeezed his hand. "If so happens, you need our help, we shall come to you. We shall help you keep the peace on Midgard."

"I do not know how they fair," admits Thor. "Their power is not great, but they are ingenious." He sighs a little. "I wish no harm on them, but sometimes they think too much of themselves…," he shakes his head.

Frigga smiles gently. "Your women…," she laughs. "You were a boy back then, but now you are a man. Those women you had, were nothing more than half-distractions."

Thor shakes his head. "Jane is different."

"Of this I can see," laughs Frigga well-naturedly. "The Aesir have been obsessed with the idea of the Midgardians for many millenniums. There have been many relationships spawned. You are to be King one day, my son -," she laughs and clears her throat. "I suppose what I wish to say is that… if you are certain that Jane is of your heart, then you should sire a heir. Your father is getting weaker – he remains, but cannot forever – and if something were to happen to you, then your brother Loki would be eligible to claim the Throne."

He squeezes his mother's hand. "I understand, Mother."

She shakes her head. "I am not saying you must rush these things, my son – that you may travel to Midgard and do such things within a moon, but think about such matters. If Jane is on your heart then think of such matters."

He nods. "I shall."

"I adore you, my son," she says gently. "May you have good times on Midgard. But you must go now; before it gets too late. She is waiting for you."

Thor smiles and embraces his mother. "Thank you, Mother."

She gets up then, and Thor rises with her. Making sure her son has put her ring away safely, she goes back to the palace and Thor makes his way back to the Bifrost. Heimdall is standing at the entrance and bows his greeting to the Prince.

"You are to inform me the moment there is trouble," he says gravely. "If my brother escapes, I wish to be the first to know."

"Of course," Heimdall says.

"Open the Bifrost at any time." Heimdall nods.

"You are to leave for Midgard now my prince? I shall prepare for your departure. Save travels."

Thor nods. He steps up to the plate. Heimdall draws his sword and plunges it into the platform, its tip touching the edge of the tesseract. There's a great flash of light. Everything is blinding.

* * *

Sorry this has been so long coming! University has been a killer recently and this chapter didn't exactly write itself, so I apologise. I do, however, thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Next chapter has Thor landing on Earth and reuniting with Jane, so please look out for that in the coming weeks. I hope to have some time to actually sit down and write very soon!

Thanks to everyone and please take the time to leave a quick review before you leave!

~ **Arlia'Devi**


	7. Chapter 7

Galaxias

By Arlia'Devi

**Chapter 7 **

**amantes sunt amentes **  
_Lovers are lunatics_

Jane Foster is sleeping when Thor beams down to earth, far, far away from New York City. Thor's knowledge of Midgard is poor. The area is desolate, but it is bright. Thor shades his hand and looks around. It is hot – insanely hot – and there is no known civilisation for ages. Is he sure he has descended upon Midgard? Not in the slightest.

Thor huffs and builds up the momentum in his hammer, taking to the skies. After a moment, he finds a small township in which the denizens can give him some sort of indication as to his position on the sphere.

He lands on the outskirts of the small town and waltzes in. This is Midgard indeed, and he has received the same strange stares from the Midgardians the last time he had come. A child goes to hide behind her mother as he approaches the small township.

"Fear not," he announces to the small populace that has gathered. "I am Thor, of Asgard, victor of the Battle of New York City and friend to all Midgardian people. Who here may I speak to? This is indeed Migard?"

A young boy stumbles forward. "Cool!" he says, in a strange accent, but English none-the-less. Thor has mastered many languages within the realms. "Do you know Iron Man?"

"The Man of Iron is one of my closest comrades," he smiles. "Which way to New York?"

"Along way from here, pretty-boy," someone shouts out and a group of people laugh. Thor notices some policemen who come from their station and he approaches them gleefully – their uniforms are similar to the men who were around New York, helping citizens escape.

"Good men," he smiles. "Where shall I procure directions to New York?"

One of the police men look at the other and laughs. "Man, you're a long way away – this is Australia. We could get the Google maps up and print them off for you," the other policeman also laughs. "But that's as good as it's gonna get."

"That shall suffice," Thor nods. "Thank you."

"So," says the laughing policeman. "Are you here for work or for pleasure?"

Thor grins, "Definitely pleasure."

One of the other men notices the barrel Thor is carrying and snickers that perhaps they should put it through customs. They usher Thor into the cool police station and away from the small crowd that is gathering outside.

The Policeman handed Thor a Google map print out.

"This is where we are, _A_," says the policeman, pointing to the inner regions of Australia. "And America – New York City, is over there. Can we call someone for you? Or…"

"Do you have contact with the Man of Iron?

The Policeman begins laughing again, and Thor does not understand what is quite amusing about the situation. Gauging by the map, he has quite a trek to New York City, but is determined to make it there.

"I shall be leaving now, friends, thank you for the information, Allfather's wishes on you."

The policeman grabs a camera. "A photo first – our best tourist!" Some of the men huddle around Thor and make thumbs-up signs and the strange device flashes. Thor huffs. He needs to get out of this place as soon as possible, lest it hinder his travels to New York City.

Thor leaves the police station to a large crowd of people, who have gathered in hearing about such a superhero wandering into the town. There are television cameras and reporters, trying to get interviews and comments.

"Unhand me mortal," Thor grits as a journalist touches him, before shoving his way through the crowd. They are persistent, however, and Thor warns them to get back – he is about to take off, and they would be in danger.

"Can you give us a statement on the Battle of New York? Are there anymore aliens out there?"

"What's happening with Tony Stark? And why has Miss. Pepper Potts been named CEO of Stark Industries?"

"Are you close with your fellow Avengers? If so, who is your favourite and why?"

"Stand back, mortals," he bellows, revealing Mjölnir. Some of the crew stagger back, and when the wind picks up, the journalists step back as well, shading their eyes with their hands. Thor – glad to be out of the large populace of strange people and the sun that was belting down on the town – takes to the air and hastily travels east along the Pacific Ocean.

* * *

Jane awakes at seven a.m. to someone buzzing over the intercom repetitively. She grumbles and looks at the clock, before rolling out of bed to answer whoever it is unlucky enough to wake her at an ungodly hour.

"What is it?" she grumbles. "Do you even know how early it is? This better be good?"

"It's Bruce. Sorry for waking you, I've just made a breakthrough in the labs – you have to come see it," he says.

Jane groans. "Can't it wait until… 9?"

"No," says Bruce. "Now hurry up or I'll override."

"You can't override," Jane laughs and pulls up her hair. She might as well go down. He's been buzzing her for a good ten minutes so it must be good. "You can't do anything unless it's nuclear."

"You're right, but I'm pretty sure Natasha could put some sort of bug chip into it," he replies as Jane pulls on some socks and brushes her teeth quickly. "I'll smash it down."

The door opens and Jane steps out, pyjamas and all. "All right," she huffs. "I'm here. Let's go."

"None of that," Bruce says, swiping her iPad from her hands and shutting it off just as it opened to the default News page. "Let's go. Hurry up."

"Give me back my iPad!" she hisses. "Bruce!"

"I will. Once you come down to the labs." They shuffle into the elevator and Bruce pushes the button. The doors close and Jane huffs, still in her light pyjamas – the grey top, and the pink and yellow striped pants, her hair pulled into a ponytail and not even a swipe of mascara on her eyelashes (she's never been one to pour on the makeup, but ever since she's moved to New York, she's been more aware of her appearance. Probably because of all the people that were always around).

"I'm not even wearing shoes," she complains.

"We're inside. You don't have to," says Bruce. Although he's wearing cargo pants, a top and sneakers.

"It's OH&S in the labs," she points out.

"You won't be in there for that long. Then you can have some breakfast and a shower."

Jane groans. Did she really need a shower? "So what's this breakthrough you've made?"

"I've discovered a source that can produce a lot of power, to power the vibranium battery, not only is it limitless, but it's more manageable than creating our own lightning strikes, or attracting them to the vessel."

"Sounds promising," Jane replies. The elevator opens and they get out. The office is strangely buzzing this morning – had her clock turned back? Had there been a power outage? Jane, suddenly self-conscious in her bed hair, scurries along behind Bruce.

She spies Captain Rogers, standing through the glass panes of her lab and turns back. Beside him was Tony Stark.

"I can't do this! Those guys are in there! Let me go have a shower, Bruce, I'll be five seconds!" she cries and tries to run away. Bruce, however, is surprisingly fast and catches her hand – a goofy expression is plastered over his face.

"It'll only take a second. Tony needs to leave by half-past," he argues. "They don't even care."

"I have kittens on my pyjamas. _Kittens_," she dead-pans.

"I know. And they're adorable."

Jane huffs and pushes back the stray hairs that fall around her face. She is woman, and she isn't wearing a bra – but this is science! And these are men, repressive, sexualised and dominant men. But she is wearing _kitten pyjamas_ and she's come to realise over the few weeks that Bruce Banner is a complete ass. She's going to do something terrible in the next few weeks just to get back at him for this.

Gathering whatever is left of her dignity, she pushes past Banner, who snickers as she walks past. He follows in and clears herself into the lab with her security card before shouldering the door open.

"I'm here – what's so importa-oh my god,"

And there. And fucking sitting on a bench like there's nothing wrong in the world is Thor. Fucking Thor. Just sitting there, leaning on the edge of table, with Mjolnir next to him and his cape hanging around his shoulders.

Her legs move before she can think. Suddenly she doesn't care that she hasn't showered, or that she's not wearing a bra or kitten pyjamas because she hugs Thor – really hugs him and he hugs back and laughs in her messy hair and says he's back and back for good.

Bruce laughs behind her and she peels herself off Thor's shoulder and shoots him a look.

"Will this work as a power source?" he asks.

"It's sustainable," says Tony Stark. "I'll just have to make sure not to get zapped."

Thor looks at Jane then and smiles. His big hands push back her hair and her tears and he kisses her on the lips passionately.

"Let's leave the lovebirds alone," says Tony again and ushers the men out of the room.

Bruce calls, in fleeting, "Don't mess up the paperwork filing!" and then the door shuts.

"When did you get here? How? The Bifrost, I-," she gushes. "I have so many questions."

"Not a few Midgardian hours ago," he replies patiently. "In a strange land where it was already tomorrow and so insanely hot. And the Bifrost is repaired and I am here, Jane Foster, if you shall have me. There is much we need to talk about, but all in good time."

Jane smiles and nods. "Of course I want you to stay, Thor."

"Good." he kisses her again and it's mind-numbing and she wraps her arms around his head, threading her fingers through his beautiful blonde hair. He leans back and drags his hand down Jane's stomach and hip, making her skin set on fire. The baggy grey top hides her petite figure, but Thor finds it and maps it out in his mind.

"You have just risen from sleep?" he asks. "These moments are the most precious." He laughs.

"Don't tease me," she replies with a small smile. "Bruce wouldn't -," she spies her iPad on the counter and goes to retrieve it, hooking it up to the wifi and checking the daily news. Thor watches on as Jane plays with the screen of a strange device.

Jane read the headlines in disbelief.

**ALIEN SAVIOUR: THOR SIGHTED IN AUSTRALIA: **Click below for the video!

**SEEN IN AUSTRALIA: THOR'S ARRIVAL ON EARTH; CAN WE REALLY TRUST ALIENS? **

**WHITE HOUSE ASSURES OF PEACE TREATY BETWEEN EARTH AND "ET".**

Agent Hill enters the lab then, busting the bubble between them. She's followed by a few more agents, then Bruce and Tony.

"Mr. Thor, we'll need to speak with you," she says. "Procedural things, really."

Thor looks at Jane and she shrugs. "It's all right. I'm going to have a shower. I'll be here when you're done."

Maria waits patiently. "Are you staying within the Earth's atmosphere for a period of time this time around?"

Thor looks to Jane. Her smile lights up her eyes. She is glorious.

"Yes."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a realm far, far way, a worried mother approaches the Guardian of the Bifrost and Realms, biting her lip. Heimdall watched impassively at the happenings throughout all the realms, not only his own. Frigga's arrival is not lost on him, and he bows as she enters his post.

"My Queen," he says gently. She serveys her son's craftsmanship.

"This is to your liking?" she asks. "He has done well?"

"If it was shoddy workmanship, he would be still here working upon it," Heimdall replied. "It is not how it once was, but it will suffice."

Frigga smiles weakly. "I am glad." she approaches Heimdall. "Can you see him? Has he made it to Midgard unhindered? Is he with the woman he loves?"

Heimdall is silent for a moment. Frigga waits patiently.

"He arrives in Midgard, but is lost. He asks the citizens for co-ordinates," Heimdall laughs. "They see him as a god."

"All Midgardians do..," Frigga laughs. "And he, perhaps, is the most popular."

"He finds his way to the city of New York, where she is, and has promised to meet him as such," Heimdall says. "He is with her now. You may not be pleased," Heimdall looks at his Queen then, his tone sobering. "But he loves the mortal woman with every fiber of his being. She is dressed like a beggar, and he cannot help but bask in her beauty."

Frigga nods and laughs. "He is happiest there. With her?"

Heimdall agrees. "He will come back to Asgard no other way than to be dragged."

* * *

What? Two updates in a short space of time? What kind of witchcraft is this? This is rainy-day witchcraft, with a coffee, spare time and eight fingers itching to write.

Please take the time to review before you leave! I'd love to hear from you if you enjoyed this chapter!

Also, Australia copped it a bit negatively. Sorry, blessed homeland, sorry.

~ Arlia'Devi


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